Downton Remembered
by JessieBess
Summary: It's 1970. Come with Tom as he takes his granddaughters on a visit to Downton where he'll reminisce about his life there, Sybil and the Crawleys. Mary, now the Dowager Countess, will also offer many memories. The fate of all the family and servants will be covered. It's AU as Sybil didn't die in 1920 nor did Matthew the following year.
1. Chapter 1

**London 1970**

How had he let the girls talk him into this? He was feeling every bit of his 78 years he thought as he plopped down, there was just no other way to describe it because he was far too tired to sit down gracefully, on the plush couch in the lounge of their hotel suite.

"Here's your tea Grand Da" his granddaughter Ciara said as she dutifully laid a cup and saucer in front of Tom on the oaken coffee table positioned in front of the couch.

"Would you like some biscuits to go with it?" Ciara inquired as she set a plate with several kinds of biscuits on the coffee table.

"That sounds lovely my dear" Tom replied before taking a long drink of his tea. "Are you and Aine going to join me?

"I am but Aine is soaking in the tub. I think she's a bit tired."

"If she's tired just think of me" Tom sighed before continuing " … your dear old Grand Da. How much do you think we've walked the last couple of days?" Tom asked before taking another sip of his tea. Oh it tasted heavenly and just hit the spot Tom thought. He was glad he had spent the extra money and gotten a two bedroom suite with a lounge separating the two bedrooms. He didn't think he had ever appreciated having a couch to lounge on as much as he did right now.

Tom didn't think he could manage another step tonight. "What if we have dinner here tonight? Order from room service?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh Grand Da I think that sounds heavenly. I've always wanted to do that. I always see them do it in the movies." Ciara gushed. "Let me go ask Aine if that's okay with her." Ciara stood up to walk to the bathroom where her cousin was currently soaking in the clawfoot tub.

"Why don't you say I've decided that and she can just put on her pajamas and robe rather than getting dressed again" Tom offered before Ciara could leave the room.

Turning around to face her grandfather, Ciara beamed at him. "That sounds good."

Tom smiled at his beloved granddaughter. Of all his grandchildren she reminded him the most of Sybil. Not only did she look a lot like Sybil but she also had her kind and caring personality. He knew he shouldn't have favorites but he and Sybil had always been particularly close Ciara. It wasn't just that her family lived the closest to his house or that she practically lived with them during her childhood but it was more due to Ciara's personality. She had been a delightful child, full of curiosity, easy to please, and had a smile that could light up a room and she had grown into a young woman just as wonderful while bypassing the dreadful behavior of so many teens.

Actually it had been Ciara who had helped him the most get over Sybil's death last year. Well he really shouldn't think "get over" but rather cope with her death.

It had happened so quickly he wasn't prepared for it at all. One day Sybil said she wasn't feeling well and then just four days later she died. Tom was in shock over suddenly losing his beloved wife just months after their 50th wedding anniversary. If he could give any thanks it was that she didn't seem to suffer at all.

His grief consumed him for weeks. He often sat in the back garden holding his favorite photographs of her crying his heart out. He had thought that no grief would ever be as deep or sorrowful as when his nineteen year old younger son had been killed. But at least then Sybil had been there with him to share their grief. Some say the hardest grief to get through is the death of a child and many marriages don't survive it but he and Sybil had taken strength from each other and their already close bond deepened even more. He knew from Aedan's death that you never get over it you just learn to live without them but that there is always a whole in your heart.

Within weeks of her funeral his well-meaning children had thought it best for him not to be constantly reminded of the lack of Sybil's presence by disposing or ridding the house of most traces of her. But Tom would have none of that, he didn't want the house to lose those traces of her which he now found comforting. It had led to some rows between him and his children until he had told them it was his house and he would decide when, and how, to dispose of Sybil's things.

Sybil's spirit was ingrained in the house and no way would removing a few photographs or her clothes change that. They had lived there for almost forty years and everywhere he looked it reminded him of Sybil. He saw her touch in the decoration of each room from the way the furniture was arranged to the paintings that graced the walls to the curtains that hung at the windows. He had never cared much, or thought about really, room décor. But that was one of the luxuries Sybil enjoyed in her life with him in Ireland, she now had the freedom to decorate a whole house any way she wanted.

It was Ciara who was the most understanding of Tom's feelings. She would sit in the garden with him and ask Tom to describe why those photographs were of special interest to him. It seemed Ciara was the only one who wasn't afraid to raise Sybil's name in conversations with Tom. It was Ciara who would comment when eating dinner with her grandfather that this recipe for lamb stew was her grandmother's favorite or that the fish dish was grandma's favorite. It was Ciara who would bake Tom's favorite cake using Sybil's recipe and remind him of when she was a child how she loved when her grandma would let her make the icing and that they always made more than needed because they'd eat so much of it while waiting for the cake to cool enough to decorate it. Then she'd laugh and with tears in her eyes tell her grandfather how much she missed her grandmother.

He wasn't sure how it happened but suddenly Ciara was living in the house. And then before it knew it, two of her university friends were also living there. He thought it wonderful that the house was alive with laughter again. He no longer ate solitary meals sitting in front of the television. Dinner once again became a time of lively conversation. He slowly began enjoying those things he had always done such as writing and reading. He even wrote some columns on grief and grieving for the newspaper. While his grief was no longer all consuming, he did miss Sybil and he knew he would do so every day until they were finally reunited again.

Tom leaned his head against the back of the couch. It felt good to sit down after a day walking around London. Well really, he told himself, after three days of walking around London.

He and Ciara had arrived in London on late Tuesday afternoon after taking the ferry from Dublin to Holyhead and then the train to London. He knew it was faster to fly these days but he much preferred taking the ferry and train. He enjoyed watching the English countryside go by from the comfort of the train compartment and seeing the changes as towns grew larger and houses seem to spring up in the most unlikeliest places. The English countryside was still pretty though with so many quaint villages with houses and churches that had stood there for hundreds of years.

"Aine is pleased with staying in too. You'd think we were a couple of old women and not twenty year olds!" Ciara laughed as she walked back into the living room and woke Tom from his thoughts. She wasn't really tired even after all the walking they had been doing but she thought her grandfather could do with the rest although she was afraid they'd probably do nothing but rest once they got to Downton.

Ciara had only been to London once before and she had only been around twelve or thirteen then and didn't really remember it all that well. This time was different because she was able to go places she wanted to visit such as the Portobello Market, Covent Garden and Hyde Park. Her grandfather was delighted she was interested in seeing Speakers Corner in Hyde Park and they had spent an hour there listening to the lively conversations. Ciara found London was just so much more colorful than Dublin, the streets were full of women in mini-skirts that would draw too much attention at home.

"Let's order a bunch of things and eat family style" Aine remarked as she strolled into the lounge of the hotel suite already dressed in her pajamas. "It will seem more decadent to be in pajamas eating dinner" she exclaimed.

Tom laughed at her excitement, it was so easy to please his two granddaughters. Why hadn't he ever thought of taking them on a trip before he wondered. It had taken Aine to do a semester abroad in Germany to get them on this trip. She had asked if he and her cousin Ciara would meet her in London when her term at the university in Germany was finished. It had been several years since the two cousins had seen each other as Aine lived in the United States. Aine hadn't able to come to Dublin for Sybil's funeral last year since she was at university and couldn't take the time needed to travel from Virginia to Dublin. She probably hadn't been to Ireland in five or six years.

Aine's mother was Tom and Sybil's second child Roisin who had surprised the family when she married an American Air Force Officer. Roisin had spent the last years of the second world war in England working as a nurse. She had met the handsome American pilot when he came to visit one of her patients. It was a fast courtship and the marriage took place just six months after their meeting.

He and Sybil had not even met their future son-in-law until the bride and groom came to Ireland for their wedding. Much to Tom's dismay the two had married at a registry office rather than in the church claiming that John only had five days of leave and they didn't want to wait. Worried about wartime romances Tom had tried to get Roisin to wait for at least a year to marry but Roisin had always been headstrong and independent. To his great surprise, Roisin and John would soon celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. He had received his invitation to the party that would celebrate the grand occasion but he knew he would not travel to Virginia to attend the party. It was too far and he was too old and without Sybil he just couldn't face such a journey.

Sybil had been heartbroken when Roisin and her new husband moved to the States for it was just too far away for easy visits. John had stayed in the Air Force after the war and had been posted to several different states. Then in 1960, John was posted to the American air base at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England and so for the next four years, they were able to visit back and forth in Ireland and England several times a year.

It was during this time that Aine and Ciara had become quite close as they were the same age with Aine only three weeks older. In the summer Aine came to Dublin for a month and stayed with her grandparents as well as with Ciara's family, Tom's oldest daughter Aoife.

Now both girls had just finished their second year at university. How quickly the time had gone thought Tom. It seemed like only yesterday the girls were playing dress up and giggling up a storm.

 _It was a rainy day in Dublin. Not a gentle rain but a full blown storm. Not unusual but for two energetic ten year old girls who spent hours riding bikes or playing ball in the yard, it was annoying_ _ **.**_

 _He wasn't sure how or who's idea it was but soon the girls were with Sybil in the attic going through a trunk of old clothes. The girls couldn't believe the treasure of fancy dresses that had been packed away for years. They had never seen such exquisite dresses of rich fabrics of silk, brocade, or organza decorated with fine embroidery or beading. That their grandmother had actually worn these beautiful dresses stunned them._

 _As the girls tried them on, Sybil talked about some of the occasions at Downton where she had worn each dress. She found some of her old photograph albums and the girls were fascinated to see their grandmother in these very clothes. It had been a wonderful afternoon for both grandmother and granddaughters._

Tom let the girls decide on what to order for dinner and it took them a considerable time to peruse the room service menu and make their choices. In the end it was an eclectic mix of items that covered the coffee table. Both girls sat cross-legged on the floor across from Tom while he remained firmly on the couch. The girls had insisted that Tom also join them in wearing pajamas which he gladly did although it did take some effort to finally get up from the couch to change clothes.

It was a perfect evening thought Tom. There was much laughter and the chatter between the three never seemed to cease. Tom was happy that his granddaughters enjoyed his company. He was so pleased that both girls seemed so down to earth. In today's society where so many youths seemed more interested in sex and drugs he was happy that his girls seemed well adjusted and interested in the world around them. Both had done very well at their respective universities.

The only thing that could have made the evening better thought Tom was if Sybil were here. How she would have loved sitting on the floor, dressed in pajamas eating shrimp cocktail and chocolate cake with her granddaughters.

But before he could get too maudlin, Aine asked in a most sincere voice "Do you think we'll be able to dine at Downton in our pajamas?" causing Tom, who had just taken a gulp of his lager, to sputter much of it and the girls to break out in giggles.

"Of course they'd be wearing the finest silk pajamas" Ciara managed to say between giggles "and Aunt Mary would be wearing a tiara."

Now that would be a vision Tom thought he'd pay money to see. Then looking at his granddaughters who were imitating the formal Crawleys eating and trying their best to talk in posh English accents Tom grinned as he rolled his eyes. The rowdy Bransons would once again be taking Downton Abbey by storm he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Grandfather and granddaughters enjoyed a leisurely full English breakfast in the hotel's breakfast room. That room was located on the top floor of the hotel with one wall completely composed of windows through which one had a view of the top of Big Ben in the distance and the lovely leafy green square across the road from the hotel. It wasn't one of the luxury hotels in London which was beyond the finances of Tom nor one of the many budget hotels that catered to motor coach groups of foreign tourists or the many American university aged backpackers that now inundated Britain.

All three were refreshed after spending the previous evening in their hotel suite. Their train to Downton wouldn't leave till early afternoon so they had time for a few more London sights. However, the girls decided they had done enough sightseeing and instead wanted to browse through two of London's most famous stores Harrod's and Fortnum and Mason.

Tom was also done with sightseeing but declined to go shopping with the girls. He opted to take a stroll in the area of the hotel but after seeing the girls off, he decided to walk over to the inviting square in front of the hotel. London had many such green leafy squares where office workers could eat lunch or tourists rest their feet while sitting on a bench in the cool shade under the greenery of the trees. He found such an empty bench sitting in the shade of a large spreading oak tree with the air perfumed by the nearby blooming mock orange bushes.

From there he had a perfect view of the hotel and he spent some time people watching as some of the other hotel guests left for a day of adventure in the city. Most were casually dressed so he assumed they were tourists and not businessmen or women. Even though it had been quite a few years since he and Sybil had visited London, Tom had deliberately chosen a hotel that they had never stayed in. This trip would have enough memories of her without being reminded of those times.

But as a young couple strolled by with their arms wrapped around each other, Tom was reminded of he and Sybil strolling like that in a square very much like this one. It had been their first trip to London, actually it was the first time he had ever been to London which had amazed Sybil until he had reminded her that he had gotten the job at Downton so soon after arriving in England.

His original plan was to go to London and search for a mechanic or chauffeur job there which hopefully he'd get before the meager savings he had managed to put away from his prior job ran out. But just days before he left Ireland, a mate told him that his uncle owned a motor car garage in Manchester and could use Tom's temporary help since two of his employees had just up and left leaving him desperate for mechanics. So instead of heading to London, Tom went to Manchester knowing he would have an income while searching for something more permanent.

During his time in Manchester, Tom had scoured all the newspapers he could find for help wanted advertisements regardless of where the jobs were located. He had gone on two interviews, one in Manchester and one in Liverpool, neither of which job really appealed to him, before his interview for the job at Downton.

The man who interviewed him worked for the law firm that managed the financial affairs for Lord Grantham. When Tom heard that Lord Grantham owned three motor cars, including a 1911 Renault, Tom was very interested in the job. When he heard that as the chauffeur he'd have his own one bedroom cottage that was fitted with electricity and its own bath, a far cry from the tiny room tucked in the attic of the decaying mansion of his former employer where he shared a bath with all the other male staff or even the small bedroom back home in Dublin that he'd always had to share with a brother or two, he knew he wanted to the job. The salary, which was higher than what he was expecting, just sealed the deal for him.

It wasn't until their oldest child, Aoife, was over two years old that Tom made his first visit to London. They had left Aoife with her doting grandparents and aunts at Downton while they spend four wonderful days in London. The trip was an anniversary present from her family who paid for three nights at the poshest hotel Tom had ever stepped into although he knew it wasn't on the same level as the Savoy or Claridge's but then he thought his inlaws might be too worried about the Irishman embarrassing them to book them into such hotels as those. Sybil was ecstatic over the gift since she thought it showed that her parents were finally accepting of Tom and their marriage. Tom, however, just thought it was a way of getting him away from Downton while they could spent time with their only granddaughter but after two years of marriage he wisely kept this thought to himself.

They had spent a full day at the British Museum enthralled with the treasures it contained. Other than that, they spend their days just walking around the city seeing the well known sights such as Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace, and just admiring the beautiful architecture of so many of the buildings and when they were tired of walking they took advantage of the many squares like the one he was now sitting in. Their favorite walk was the path along the Thames where in the evening they'd sit on a bench drinking a cold bottle of cider or ale watching the city slowly shift from day to night.

While both loved their daughter immensely it was so nice for them to be alone, on a schedule fully of their making and not worrying about being interrupted by a toddler demanding attention. Taking full advantage of this a good portion of their time was spent in their hotel room with lazy mornings of unhurried love making which had become a rarity in their Dublin home.

During the years as their family grew from one child to five, they had taken advantage of trips to Downton to steal away to London or the coast for just a night or two. Although in Dublin they often had a night out at the pub while Tom's mother watched the children but a having the whole night away was a treat reserved only for very special occasions such as anniversaries or a milestone birthday. With the nannies and house maids available to watch the Branson children, Sybil and Tom felt no guilt at leaving them at Downton.

Plus, as Sybil was fond of pointing out, it gave her parents a treat too for they had the children all to themselves. Tom was never sure how much Robert found that a treat for the Branson children were not as quiet as Mary and Matthew's children. Although they were polite and well behaved, the grounds of Downton as well as the grand stairway and the many rooms of the house offered the boisterous Branson brood many delights they couldn't experience at their tiny Dublin house.

"I told Ciara it was you" Tom suddenly heard a voice say.

"You looked like you were sleeping but I think we heard a chuckle as we approached" Ciara stated in turn.

With both girls now standing in front of him and looking intently at him, Tom chuckled again. "I was just thinking about when your grandmother and I would come to London leaving your mothers and uncles and Aunt Aibrean at Downton and some of the antics they would get up to."

"Oh" both girls replied simultaneously. "Do tell us."

Rising from the bench, Tom only chuckled as he looked at his watch and then put an arm around each girl. "Those stories are for another time, we'd better get going if we're going to make our train."

The train ride was uneventful. They were lucky and had a compartment all to themselves for most of the trip. Having purchased sandwiches and bags of crisps and biscuits at the railway station, they only bought sodas and tea from the railway attendant who plied a trolley loaded with sandwiches, salads, tempting desserts and drinks up and down the aisle outside their compartment.

Tom was amazed that after four days together the girls could still talk non-stop with the conversation ranging from topic to topic and back again without missing a beat. He joined in when the conversation was about some of the sights they had seen and the differences between London and Dublin but was rather out of touch when it veered to the latest bands and music.

The time passed very quickly and before they could get restless, they were arriving at the Downton railway station. Tom couldn't count the number of times he had been on this platform but he marveled that in all these years it still looked the same. The only difference at the station seemed to be the car park which had grown considerably in keeping up with the village which had also grown although village would still be an accurate description. Most of the population growth was in the surrounding area where farm lands had been divided into housing properties.

The night before Tom had called Mary to tell her of their expected arrival time in Downton and so he was not surprised to see a motor car waiting for them as they exited the platform. But it was not a man in a green livery uniform who stood next to the 1962 Hillman Husky motor car waiting for the Bransons rather it was a lanky young man wearing well worn blue jeans, an untucked in plaid shirt with smudges of dirt on it and sporting a blond pony tail.

"Uncle Tom?" the clipped aristocratic tone of voice seemed in contrast to the boy's casual demeanor and dress.

Tom nodded not sure at first who was addressing him. It was only when he raised his sunglasses that Tom guessed it was Mary's grandson Artie. With his bright blue eyes and sandy blond hair there was no mistaking that the lad was related to Matthew Crawley.

"Artie?" Tom replied with a slight air of hestitation.

The lad smiled as he nodded his head yes. "I guess I look a bit different from the last time you saw me."

"Apart from growing up about a foot as well as growing a pony tail" Tom laughed as he shook Artie's hand. "Actually there's no mistaking you're Matthew's grandson."

"That's what grandmamma always says to me" the boy replied wistfully. Since his grandfather had died before his birth, he had no recollection of the man everyone said he was the spitting image of.

"Maybe we could talk a bit about …" the boy began but was interrupted by the arrival of Ciara and Aine who had stopped at the loo to comb their hair and freshen up a bit before meeting their Great Aunt Mary.

Tom, realizing what the boy was going to ask, quickly said "I'd love to" before introducing Artie to Ciara and Aine.

"I remember you both coming here quite some years ago. As I recall one of you was living in England at the time" Artie said as he shook the hands of his cousins or so he considered them although actually it was their parents who were cousins.

"That was me" Aine smiled at Artie.

Stunned at first by the girl's obvious American accent, Artie finally blurted out "That's right, I forgot that you're American."

"Well really just half American."

Aine sounded a bit defensive which Artie ignored as he turned to Ciara, "So Sam is your brother." While Ciara nodded, Artie laughed "We had such a great time. I always wished he had come back again. What is he doing now?"

"He's still quite the rogue" Ciara replied with a twinkle in her eye. "He's going to university in America next term."

During the conversation among the younger ones, Tom had put their bags in the car. "I can't believe Mary still has this old car."

"It's a real work horse" Artie replied. "We use it a lot around the estate. But I don't think Grandmama has sat in it in years."

Tom laughed. "Now that doesn't surprise me. Guess we should be moving along as she'll be wondering what happened to us if we stand here much longer."

He knew there was no way to prepare the girls for their first sighting of the Abbey since their visit almost eight years ago and then they had only been twelve. From his own experience, as well as the many years he had driven visitors to the Abbey from the railway station, he knew it was an unexpected sight.

 _Coming to Downton was a new start for him as his chauffeur job in Ireland had become very boring and he wanted something new and better. One of the things Tom disliked about his former job, and it was just one of many things he disliked, was that the old lady only had one old car that constantly needed repair. He had tried to talk her into buying something better but she insisted she only needed a motor car to get her to town and back not something for trips around Ireland. Indeed in the four years he worked for her the furtherest he had ever driven her was about twenty miles from her house._

 _His mother had begged him not to go to England but the pay would be so much better there. With four younger brothers and sisters still at home, his mother could use the extra money so he had swallowed his pride and accepted a job with an English aristocrat._

 _He wasn't sure what to expect. The interview had been conducted by a representative for the family in Manchester so he hadn't met his new employer or seen where he would be working. He only knew it was for an Earl and his family which included three daughters. There were three cars, such an extravagance it seemed to Tom, but he looked forward to driving them especially the relatively new 1911 Renault._

 _Besides the generous increase in pay, what he looked forward to the most was that he'd have his own cottage. The peace and quiet of his own place would give him a sanctuary to read and write. He still harbored dreams of some day writing for a living, he wouldn't always be a servant, he would make something of his life._

 _Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of Downton Abbey. The house was an intimidating sight. He had of course seen pictures of castles and palaces that housed kings but he never thought that anyone else lived in such places or even that such places existed. How could someone call such a huge place home?_

 _But he wouldn't be intimidated. He would do his job and do it well. After a few years he would have enough saved that he could go back to Ireland and hopefully to a job not of the servant class._

Turning into the drive that led to the Abbey's front door, Artie momentarily stopped the car. He often did that for visitors so they could take in the grand site.

"Blimey" Ciara exclaimed. "My memory wasn't playing tricks on me. It is like a castle."

"I think it looks even bigger than what I remember" Aine chimed in "which doesn't really seem possible."

But the view now had something that wasn't there in Tom's days of living on the estate for there was, as Mary described it as tasteful yet discreet, a sign reading "Downton Country Hotel" with a bold green arrow pointing to a drive that branched off to the left.

As costs of living increased, as well as the taxes to maintain such a property, the estate had to find new sources of revenue. So many of the old country estates had been divided up into smaller parcels of land sold off to developers or the estate manor houses had been turned into apartments or in some cases left to rot. Matthew's plans for modernizing Downton had revitalized the estate but by the 1940's more was needed. During the Second World War, Downton was once again turned into a convalescent home but this time catering to soldiers of all ranks.

It was in the late 1940's that the Crawleys had given in to the times and turned the back half of Downton into a luxury country hotel. After the war, labor was cheap and so many men were out of work that they could afford to do the necessary changes to turn half of Downton into a hotel.

A grand entrance was built with some ground floor rooms turned into a reception hall flanked by two large lounges as well as a restaurant overlooking the gardens. The rooms on the floors above were turned into hotel rooms each with their own bath and a few with their own lounge area. On each floor there was a communal lounge fitted with several seating areas as well as a few writing desks. The Downton Country Hotel was now recognized as one of England's premier country hotels with rates beginning at over 200 pounds a night. As always Downton only catered to the wealthy.

Yet none of this could be seen from the front of Downton. No that looked as it always had. Even from inside one didn't realize that the family didn't occupy all of the building until one walked down a hallway that suddenly ended with a wall where one expected a room.

As the car neared the front doors, a man and a woman emerged from the house. The man, dressed in a black uniform, strode purposively to the left of the front doors and stood as if at attention while the woman stood directly in front of the doors.

"How times have changed" Tom remarked out loud. "I remember when visitors faced a receiving line."

"Well there's not much family here now Uncle Tom" stated Artie.

"No. No. I meant when I worked here as the chauffeur, when guests came all of the family would line up outside to the right of the front door and a line of servants would stand on the left. Depending on how important the guests were would determine how many servants would be standing there."

In his mind Tom could visualize Mr. Carson standing at the front of the line with Mrs. Hughes next in line. Thomas, O'Brien, Mr. Bates, Anna, Gwen, Ethel, Jimmy, Alfred … Tom could see them all in his mind.

"Would you be standing there Grand Da?" Ciara asked.

"On no. It was only some of the inside, or house, staff that would be there. As the chauffeur I wasn't considered a member of the house staff."

"There was inside and outside staff?" a very curious Aine asked.

"Oh yes my dear. The inside staff worked in the house as butlers, footmen, lady's maids, housemaids, and hall boys. And then there was the kitchen staff, the cook and her assistants, the scullery maids but they were never part of the receiving lines."

Ciara and Aine's eyes grew wide with amazement. "How much staff was there?" Ciara asked.

"I'm not really sure of the exact number but probably over 100."

"100!" the car lurched to a stop as even Artie chimed in with Ciara and Aine.

"I know that seems unbelievable doesn't it. Especially when you consider it was only a family of five living here."

"And Grandma gave all that up to live with you in a three room flat in Dublin" Ciara exclaimed.

"That she did love" Tom beamed at his granddaughters. "I was a very lucky man."

Ciara, looking up at her grandfather with pure admiration in her eyes, quietly replied. "Or maybe she was just very wise."


	3. Chapter 3

As Artie drove the car towards the front of the Abbey, Tom couldn't help but think of all the times he had made this very same journey. As the Downton chauffeur he had made countless trips driving the family and their guests to and from these oversized wooden doors. Even though he now came as a guest, well really a member of the family, and had done so for fifty years, he easily recalled how for so many years those grand doors, the ones Mary now stood in front of waiting to greet him, were a forbidden entrance to him.

Looking now at Mary standing there with just the butler Hanes Tom was reminded of how much life at Downton had changed. As he had told Artie and the girls once there would have been a line of servants standing there. But as the years had worn on the number of staff had dwindled not just for financial reasons but also due to the change in lifestyle.

Matthew had introduced a far more relaxed style than Robert. Although Mary in many ways still had that air of formality she had adapted to those changes and continued with them even after Matthew's death. The family's fortunes had bounced back with the estate's various enterprises, including the hotel, being quite profitable.

Yet the estate was now supporting far more family members with Mary as the Dowager Countess. The current earl, Mary's eldest son George, lived in London with his wife and three children, and while George worked as a solicitor he depended on Downton to support his upper class life style.

It was Mary's second son Arthur who actually ran the estate. He lived here with his wife and two younger children while his oldest son attended university.

Mary and Matthew's youngest child, their only daughter Clarissa, had married a wealthy industrialist and lived somewhere south of London. Tom could never remember exactly where. The only thing he really remembered about Clarissa was that she was more like the young Mary than Mary was now.

 _Without a doubt the toughest entry through those doors was the first time he returned to Downton with Sybil as his wife. Partly he was fearful of her returning to Downton, partly he was fearful of his own return to Downton. He feared that if she saw once again her family home she'd realize all the things she no longer had in Dublin. Though she had longed for a different life than that offered her at Downton, he could never quite shake the fear that she would tire of the life he offered her in Dublin. While she seemed so happy with their life in Dublin, it had only been about a year, could that lifestyle sustain her for a lifetime?_

 _He of course had no desire to return to Downton ever but he had promised to devote his life to making her happy so he had come with her. Yet he couldn't help but wonder how the family would react to him being one of them, how odd it would be to sit at the table with them. How accepting would his former co-workers be? He knew Carson disapproved for he had made that quite clear but of the rest of them, especially Mrs. Hughes and Anna, he had no idea of what reception he would get._

 _He knew that although Sybil was so excited to see her family, she was aware of his uneasiness. She was sure the anonymous sender of the money for their travel to Downton for Mary and Matthew's wedding was her father. To Sybil this somewhat made up for her parents not attending her wedding for she thought it was an olive branch, a way of letting her know she and Tom would be welcomed, which she would happily accept._

 _But Sybil hadn't gotten the warm welcome she desired from her father and it was painfully clear that he hadn't sent them the money. He had hugged her or rather he had stood there while she hugged him. Yet there was no doubt of the look of sheer distain he had thrown to Tom before turning and retreating into the house without uttering a word to him._

 _It was Cora, gracious Cora, that offered him her hand while calling him Tom. It may have seemed like such a simple gesture, the outstretched hand, the calling him by his Christian name, the smile on her face, but he knew that in those gestures she was telling him she accepted him into her family._

Mary greeted him as the old friend he was although her hug was a little tighter and longer than usual. It was the first time they had seen each other since those terrible days surrounding Sybil's death. Mary had been a rock for him during those heartbreaking days immediately following Sybil's sudden death.

Although she had taken the first flight to Dublin she could after he had called her to tell her Sybil was sick and he wasn't sure she would survive, Sybil was already drifting into unconsciousness when Mary arrived. She sat with him in Sybil's hospital room as day turned to night and then day again. They sat there holding Sybil's hands as well as each other's, taking strength from each other for the inevitable.

Now as brother and sister by law looked at each other they knew no words need be spoken, it was plain in each of their eyes that they were thinking of their beloved Sybil.

"I'm so glad you came here" Mary whispered into his ear as she held him tightly. Stepping back but standing with her hands on his shoulders she smiled "It's so good to see you Tom."

Then she turned her head, looking at his granddaughters who were now standing beside the car with Artie, and said "And it's wonderful that you've brought your granddaughters."

Tom, finally composing himself after his unexpected emotional greeting with Mary, smiled broadly as he introduced the girls.

"Mary this is Aoife's oldest daughter, Ciara."

"Yes" Mary began as she stepped towards Ciara "I remember you from Sybil's funeral" then hugging her in greeting, not of course the tight hug her grandma always give her where her arms wrapped around you and her cheek touched yours for several seconds. No, Aunt Mary's hug was the lightly touch the shoulders and barely brush the cheek kind.

Although Mary had seen Ciara several times over the years, it wasn't until Sybil's funeral that she suddenly was struck by how much the girl looked like a young Sybil. "I can't believe how much you resemble your grandmother. Looking at you makes me think I'm twenty again."

Ciara laughed and Mary thought how much her laugh sounded like Sybil's but when she spoke "Thank you for inviting us here Aunt Mary" in that Irish lilt Mary's thoughts of the past vanished.

The few times Ciara had met her Great Aunt she had thought her rather stiff and cold, especially in comparison to her Grandma. To Ciara the contrast was like night and day, Grandma could make any one at ease while Aunt Mary could make any one ill at ease.

So Ciara had been greatly surprised by the emotions Mary had displayed on her last visit to Dublin. It was so obvious that Mary had deeply loved her younger sister. Ciara couldn't deny how comforting Mary had been to her Grand Da and how grateful she was for that.

"And this is my granddaughter Aine, Roisin's daughter."

Mary held out her arms to hug Aine. "Ah yes … the American one. I think it's been years since I've seen you."

"I was only twelve when we came here." Aine's soft southern drawl was so different from the American accent of Mary's mother.

"Well I'm very glad that both of you are here now. I hope you will enjoy your stay with us." To both girls the woman who had greeted their grandfather so warmly suddenly sounded very formal and stiff and rather like a hotel clerk welcoming new guests.

When his grandmother had turned her attention to the girls, Artie had quietly maneuvered to the back of the old station wagon to retrieve the luggage hoping to avoid attracting her attention. Never one to hold back her tongue, he knew she would be displeased to see his outfit.

"I realize Artie you're dressed as a delivery man but Michael will take care of the luggage."

"I've put the two of you in the same room" Mary spoke to the girls "but if you prefer separate rooms that can be arranged."

Ciara and Aine looked at each other with sly smiles both girls knowing they'd spend a lot of time discussing their Crawley relatives. "One room will be fine" Ciara spoke up for the two of them.

"We hardly ever get to see each other so sharing a room is a real treat" Aine added.

"Lucinda will show you the room and make sure you have everything you need." It was like magic that Michael and Lucinda, both neatly dressed in black slacks and white shirts, had suddenly appeared from the inside the house.

The sheer size of Downton and its setting commanded attention and perhaps awe when first viewed, but for most observers the building was deemed imposing but not really beautiful. Yet the same could not be said of the inside.

Walking through the oversized wooden doors, immediately followed by two half glass and half wooden doors, one was hit with the grandeur of the great hall. There was so much to take in – the elegant seating area with its plush lounge chairs surrounded by beautiful wooden tables of assorted sizes and shapes, the huge colorful Persian rug, the wide staircase with its turns and landings before ending at the second floor where the balconies that ran on all four sides gave a view of the floor below.

Ciara and Aine both came to a sudden halt upon entering the hall for neither had remembered the opulence of the inside of the house or, more likely, as twelve years old neither would have been concerned with opulence. Aine could remember sliding down the bannisters with her Branson cousins and Artie until Aunt Mary had quickly put a stop to that and the children found themselves relegated to using the old servants stairs. Just remembering that the house had a stairway solely for the servants caused Aine to roll her eyes.

It was about twenty minutes later, after "time to freshen up" as Mary had put it, that Tom and the girls met up again with Mary in the library. An assortment of small finger sandwiches, biscuits, and cake slices arranged on fine English china platters was displayed on one end of a long table covered with a crisp white linen tablecloth. A large cut-glass blue vase filled with colorful flowers sat in the middle of the table separating the carefully arranged food platters from the serving plates and cutlery as well as a silver coffee and tea service set.

The library had always been Tom's favorite room at Downton and actually the only room in which he ever truly felt at ease. There was just something so comforting to Tom being surrounded by so many books. He smiled as he recalled the first time he had been in this room. Carson had brought him here to meet his new employer Lord Grantham but it had been the sheer number of books that had caught Tom's attention. When his lordship told him he could borrow any books he wanted, Tom thought he was the luckiest servant on earth.

Probably to Lord Grantham's surprise he had made great use of the library especially when he found the large collection of books dealing with history and politics. Lord Grantham would have been even more surprised to learn that it was this love of books, well actually the ideas and thoughts contained therein, that had fostered his friendship with Sybil and if he had known he would have banned Tom from ever setting foot in the room.

" _What types of books are you interested in?" Sybil inquired._

 _His reply of "History and politics mainly" caused her to turn around and look at him. "So not pleasure reading" she responded with her eyebrow raised._

" _Well to me reading itself is a pleasure. I'm interested in the thoughts and ideas of others, to see how they view society or what they envision as a just society."_

" _But can't you learn some of that from novels? I mean certainly Jane Austin or the Brontes … their stories do reflect society, at least society of their time._

 _Now it was his turn to be surprised, not only at her comments themselves but also her thinking. "I guess I just never thought about novels in such terms before but you're right."_

 _The smirk she gave him let him know she was pleased with herself._

" _So you read them for their take on society rather than the romances?" he gave her that cheeky grin she found appealing but he thought maybe he had gone too far, had gotten too familiar, when he saw her blush as she tilted her head downwards._

 _Wanting to cover up any mistakes he may have made, he quickly asked. "What else do you like to read?"_

" _Adventure stories" she replied without having to think about it. "I've always loved stories of adventure like Treasure Island or Kidnapped or Robinson Crusoe. And anything that takes place in faraway lands like India or Africa."_

" _Ah a dreamer then" he replied._

" _I love stories that take me away from here even if it's only in my imagination."_

 _He hadn't expected such an answer and raised an eyebrow questioningly as he looked at her. She had every material thing should could probably ever want. Was she interested in a life so different from her own?_

After a short time of making pleasant talk the girls and Artie, who had joined them after changing into a clean pull over shirt and jeans, clothing more acceptable to his grandmother, decided to talk a walk down to the village leaving Mary and Tom alone.

After refilling her tea cup Mary sat down on the sofa next to Tom. She took a sip and then placed the cup and saucer on the low table that sat in front of the sofa before turning to look directly at her bother in law. "How are you doing Tom, I mean really doing?"

Tom shifted his gaze from Mary to looking at some spot across the room. Even though it had been almost a full year since Sybil's death, his eyes could easily fill with tears when he thought of her.

"I miss her so much Mary."

Mary reached over and gently squeezed his hand.

"Especially at night" he continued causing Mary to look at him with her eyebrow raised in that way she had perfected of letting you know she was surprised or questioning what you had said.

Tom looked panicked for a moment before finally managing to utter "Not in that way." Then chuckling he continued "Well I do miss that but I meant that during the day I can imagine she's out in the garden or puttering around the house or visiting one of the kids. But at night, when I lay in the empty bed there's no imaging she's just stepped out and will be back. I think that's when it hits me the most that she's gone."

Mary nodded for she knew so well what Tom was talking about. Although Matthew had died twenty years ago and she had been happily married to Howard for fifteen years now, she could easily recall the loneliness she felt that first year after Matthew died.

But what could she say in comfort to Tom? That in time he'd find someone else? That's what had happened to her when Sir Howard Bustle came into her life or rather back into her life because she had known him as a friend for years. It wasn't the grand passion that she had felt for Matthew but rather companionship and deep friendship that had turned into love. He was her anchor and she couldn't imagine her life these past years without him.

But at Tom's age she knew there wouldn't be anyone else. Not that attractive men his age weren't capable of getting married, in fact she thought there would be plenty of women vying for him, old widows looking for companionship or younger women looking for an older man of means, but she knew that after 50 years, no woman would be able to replace Sybil.

"I know it's hard to believe but the cliché that it gets easier with time is true. There will come a time when you'll smile rather than cry when you remember them."

Tom reached out and patted Mary's hand. "I know you've been through this yourself. I was lucky to have over 50 years with her. You only had thirty with Matthew. You two should have grown old together."

He could easily recall the phone call that had come so unexpected one evening to their house in Dublin. He had signed a contract that day to do a monthly column for the most popular automotive magazine in Europe. To celebrate he and Sybil had dined at one of the most fashionable restaurants in Dublin and had come home to celebrate in a more intimate fashion. They hadn't been in the house ten minutes when the telephone rang. He didn't want Sybil to answer it, but always remembering the phone call telling them their son Aedan had been in a boating accident and they needed to get to the hospital right away, Sybil was always afraid she'd miss one of the kids calling with some sort of emergency so she had insisted on answering.

And just like that phone call two years before, this one was terrible news. Matthew was dead. His car had skidded on an icy patch and into a tree. He was still alive when found but had died on the way to the hospital.

Yes if anyone knew what Tom was going through it was Mary.

 _Exiled from Ireland, now with no job and a wife and newborn daughter, he was at the lowest point he had ever been in his life. His foolishness had cost him the job he loved. Even more harrowingly it had almost cost him his wife for he blamed himself for the eclampsia that had endangered not only Sybil but their unborn child. Although Dr. Clarkson had said it was not known what caused eclampsia, Tom thought that Sybil's fleeing Ireland, alone and scared, had to have played a role._

 _Thank heavens Cora had listened to Dr. Clarkson and after talking it over with Tom, had Sybil taken to the Downton hospital for the emergency caesarean. If they had listened to that pompous fool Lord Grantham had hired both Sybil and the baby would probably have died. Lord Grantham hadn't deemed Tom worthy of consulting him even though it was his wife and child whose lives were in danger and the insult still rankled Tom._

 _And now, almost three months later, Tom was dependent on Lord Grantham. He had written to several English newspapers about a position but none had replied. He had no job and no prospects. The only money they had was Sybil's inheritance from her grandfather Levinson and Tom didn't feel right using that money._

 _It was bad enough that what money Lord Grantham had grudgingly gave them when they left for Ireland was almost all gone. His salary at the newspaper was meager at best and Sybil's job as a nurse paid even less. The money Tom had managed to save while working as the chauffeur, which had seemed like a great sum to him, had quickly disappeared paying for a flat and the furnishings. They had to use Lord Grantham's money to supplement their meager monthly earnings._

 _Sybil had also dipped into the money to pay for things needed for the baby. A second hand crib and rocking chair along with a chest of drawers now sat unused in their old flat. The curtains his mother had made with the matching coverlet decorated the room in bright yellows and greens complimenting the light yellow painted walls. It was a room that Sybil had lovingly decorated and now would never use. Oh how foolish he had been._

 _It was Matthew that rescued Tom from his despair for it was he who offered Tom the job as estate manager. Matthew told him it wasn't out of pity or even brotherly love but that he needed someone to help him with the estate. Jarvis and Lord Grantham had pretty much run it into the ground and desperate measures were needed to make the estate profitable and Matthew couldn't do it by himself. He knew Tom was bright and hard working and thought he'd be just right for the job._

 _Tom was forever grateful to Matthew. Although it was not a job Tom would have considered in other circumstances, he found much to his surprise that he did like it. Surprisingly it did lead to Tom writing again although this time mostly for agricultural journals but some newspaper columns linking politics, agriculture (particularly agricultural reform) and the dying aristocracy. He liked working with Matthew and the two became close friends. The only problem was that it kept him and Sybil tied to Downton._


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: As always thanks to those of you who've taken the time to review. To Downton Lover glad you found this story and like it, you may have also missed the updates to Thru the Years as well as a complete story The Will.

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When Aine had first asked Tom and Ciara to meet her in London Tom hadn't thought about visiting Downton. Then he thought about it and decided he wanted to show the girls where their grandmother was from and where their own mothers had been born. He wanted to tell them about his life at Downton. It would be a way to honor their grandmother for he would share with them a bit of his and Sybil's past.

At dinner, they had met the rest of the Crawleys who were living at Downton. The girls had taken an immediate liking to Artie. Tom thought that with his looks, easy going personality and ready smile Artie was so much like his grandfather Matthew.

Since he was a young teen, Artie had always worked around the estate doing odd jobs or whatever was needed to be done. He had tried doing some jobs at the hotel but found he much preferred working in the gardens or other outdoor job. Although he was a hard worker and didn't shirk his responsibilities he quickly found that working outdoors gave him much more freedom.

His father, Arthur, Mary's younger son was manager of the estate. Mary had confided to Tom that it should be Arthur and not her older son George who inherited Downton. Since the laws had been changed Mary inherited Downton when Matthew died. George had of course become Lord Grantham, Earl of Grantham, upon his father's death but George had very little use for Downton other than the money it generated to maintain his lifestyle. He much preferred his life in London where he had settled after university and worked as a solicitor.

It was Arthur who had returned to Downton after university to work with his father on the estate and who willingly stepped in to running it when his father died. Arthur was ably helped in his work by his wife Margaret who had grown up on a large horse farm that bordered Downton. Like her husband and son, Margaret loved the land and outdoors although her greater love was horses. She was an accomplished rider and had now established a riding stable at Downton. In this endeavor she was aided by her fourteen year old daughter Caroline, an accomplished rider herself who competed in horse shows throughout England.

Neither Ciara nor Aine had ever been on a horse in their lives and neither was keen to do so now which made them of little interest to Caroline who talked of nothing else but horses.

While many traditions had been dropped through the years, some due to changing financial conditions and some due to changing social conditions, Tom found that dinner at Downton still retained a bit of the past. While no one dressed up for dinner in their finery, meaning tails for the men and gowns for the women, Mary did expect all diners to be suitably dressed in what Tom would describe as their Sunday best.

The girls had grumbled a bit when Tom had told them to pack some dresses or skirts for dinners at Downton. "Just be thankful that the customs of yester year are gone" he replied to their grumbling. "Otherwise you'd be wearing ball gowns and long gloves."

"Just to sit with the family and eat dinner?" Aine asked incredulously.

Tom laughed. "Oh my dear you don't understand the English aristocracy. Even when it was just your grandmother, her sisters and parents they dressed up in their finery.

"When did the custom change?" Ciara asked.

"Not until Matthew, Mary's first husband, became the Earl in ... I think it was 1930 that your great-grandfather Robert died."

"Matthew had always been lobbying for a simpler style of living but Robert clung to many of the old ways. I think he couldn't face that his was a dying lifestyle."

While dress requirements may have been relaxed, there was still some semblance of the past. Everyone still gathered in the drawing room before dinner only now it was cocktails and sodas that were served by the butler Hanes. As Tom watched the man move among the small gathering pouring drinks and refilling glasses, he thought of the past butlers, Carson, Thomas, and Lively.

Carson, so full of pompousness but proud of his position as butler, had finally acceded to the demands of his position and treated him grudgingly as a member of the family although Tom knew that Carson never really approved of his marrying Sybil. For his part, Tom could never understand how Carson so whole heartedly supported the class system in which he was a member of the servant class.

 _The news was shocking to all in the house both those upstairs and down. Mr. Carson had proposed to Mrs. Hughes and she had accepted. Sybil of course thought it was rather romantic that after all those years of working together the butler and the housekeeper had fallen in love. Tom wasn't so sure this was a love match but rather one of practicality, of companionship for old age._

 _While his talk with Carson consisted of exchanging pleasantries in greetings and not much else, Tom had always had a soft spot for Mrs. Hughes. She was kind to the staff while expecting certain standards to be met, and unlike her husband to be, she didn't put the family on a pedestal._

 _She was one of the few that had seemed genuinely happy when it became known that Lady Sybil was going to marry the chauffeur. Of course she had known since that long ago garden party that he was sweet on the pretty youngest daughter of the house._

" _So Mrs. Hughes" Tom began trying to sound rather serious but couldn't help breaking out into that cheeky grin of his "you've been keeping your own secrets."_

" _Well Mr. Branson" she replied "every woman should have some secrets."_

" _Aye." He laughed. "I do hope you will be as happy in your marriage as I am in mine."_

But it was Thomas that never could accept Tom as a member of the family and only treated him with the minimal amount of respect that he could get away with. At least with Lively there was no past history and if he even knew Tom had been the chauffeur he never gave any indication, of course by this time Tom and Sybil had been back living in Ireland for years and only came to Downton once or twice a year at most.

 _It was just another bit of humiliation. None of course would say anything to his face, other than Thomas, but he could see it in their eyes when they looked at him. To them he had returned to Downton as the Irish rebel fleeing the authorities and it was only by the good graces of his lordship that he wasn't in jail._

 _He could stomach their contempt and the way they said "Sir" with a clear note of distain but it was the pitying looks they gave Sybil that broke his heart. When he left Downton with Sybil for Ireland he had told Carson he took great pride in the love of Sybil and would strive to be worthy of it and now look what he had done._

 _He had gone on one of his long solitary walks as he did most days now for it was the only way to get out of that house. Lost in his thoughts he had come in through the servants hall, an unconscious act that was automatic to the former servant, and it wasn't until he heard Thomas that he realized what he had done._

" _Is there something SIR that I can do for you?" Thomas sneered. "Or have you lost your way?"_

 _Tom took a long look at that sneering face and for just a few seconds was tempted to slam his fist into it but he knew that would bring only more troubles so instead he breathed deeply, and thought to himself that he was through with feeling shame. "Actually I was looking for Mrs. Hughes" he said as the first thing that popped into his head._

" _Well I'm sure you remember where her office is" Thomas snickered._

" _Actually I'm surprised to still see YOU here" Tom couldn't help but get in his own verbal punch. "I thought you were moving on to bigger and better things."_

 _Luckily Anna and Mr. Bates walked in just then before Thomas could reply._

 _Tom nodded at both of them "Good morning to you both" he cheerily said before turning and heading back upstairs._

As she had been doing for almost twenty years, Mary presided over the dinner table with Tom sitting in her husband's seat directly across from her at the middle of the table. Howard was away on business and would be back at the end of the week. Tom wasn't really sure of what exactly Howard did, he was supposed to be an investor of some sort, but whatever he did he made a great deal of money.

In looks Howard was the complete opposite of Matthew but much like him in personality. He came from a wealthy family that owed a chain of hardware stores. Howard was one of those men that was comfortable in his own skin and could be at ease in any situation.

Howard and Mary had known each other for years although Tom couldn't remember exactly how they had met. But he did recall it was a chance meeting at a dinner party almost four years after Matthew's death that led to their romance and eventual marriage. Howard had been a widower for over ten years after the death of his wife and two children in a train crash in France.

The cynical part of Tom thought Howard's money and no heirs was an appeal for Mary but having seen the two throughout the years, he had no doubt that Mary did love Howard although not in the passionate way she had loved Matthew. Howard for his part treated Mary like she was a queen and had been generous in funding Downton.

Conversation at dinner had been pleasant and Tom enjoyed talking to Arthur about the estate. As the former estate agent, Tom was interested in how things had changed for the estate. Arthur was interested in Tom's opinions and views and enjoyed hearing some of the history especially Tom's stories of working with his father.

Much had changed about the estate since Tom's time as Estate Manager. While the family still had some income from its farming concerns, it was really the hotel that provided the greatest income. Hotel chains had approached the family about buying the hotel but the Crawleys preferred to maintain ownership. They felt this was the best way to keep the hotel as a source of income while maintaining control for they didn't want the hotel overshadowing the private parts of the house. There was a strict line for the guests as to where they could wander with the family's side of the house, including the grounds, being strictly off limits.

While the Crawleys owned the hotel and made the major decisions as to how it would operate, the day-to-day running of the hotel fell to a manager hired by the family. He and his staff of professionals ensured that the hotel was run as a first class property.

When Tom retired for the evening it was to the bedroom he and Sybil had always shared, the one that was her childhood bedroom. Ever the gracious host, Mary had inquired as to whether Tom would prefer another room but he had declined.

The room looked the same as it had the last time he and Sybil had visited. Then again, other than painting and removing wall paper that had faded through the years, the rooms at Downton didn't change much. Some such as the library and the drawing room did have newer sofas and chairs but the end tables and coffee tables and such were still the same.

His bedroom was still a cheery soft yellow that gave the room a sunniness unlike so many of the rooms which were painted in dark greens or reds which Tom always thought seemed so gloomy.

It wasn't until he was ready for bed that Tom realized Sybil's vanity table was there and still covered with her things, her hair brush and comb set with the matching hand mirror, her jewelry box with the few items she kept at Downton, the lovely porcelain box which held various hair ribbons and pins. He found some of her clothing in the drawers, a couple of sweaters, gloves, nightgowns and underclothes, things that she wouldn't have to pack each time she visited Downton. In the closet were a couple of fancy dresses that she had no need for in Dublin as well some jackets, gloves, and hats.

When the ban on his returning to Ireland was lifted they had moved back to Ireland but Sybil would return with the children every summer. After Cora died, those summer visits became infrequent until two or three years would pass before she visited. She and Mary were still close and phoned each other weekly but Sybil had a busy life in Dublin between her work and her growing brood of children.

Tom had never been fully comfortable in this room; at least not in the early years of his marriage. It wasn't really until Matthew became the Earl that Tom could shake his feelings of being where he wasn't wanted.

 _It was the worst night of his life. Although he had told the family that he and Sybil had a plan and she would be joining him soon, he couldn't help but worry. The angry words her father had yelled at him haunted him._

" _You leave her to shift for herself."_

" _You abandon a pregnant woman while you run for it."_

" _You saved yourself."_

 _Tom believed what he had told them that the authorities wouldn't hold Sybil, that she'd be able to catch an early ferry in the morning but it wouldn't be until he held her in his arms again that he could truly feel relief._

 _It would be a long long night._

 _If Tom could hear the conversation taking place in his in-laws bedroom he wouldn't feel any better. Robert was still angry and was pacing up and down the room while Cora sat in the bed staring at him._

" _Robert you can't change what has happened and bellowing isn't going to make things better."_

" _How can you calmly lay there when our daughter is who knows where."_

" _Tom said they had"_

" _Don't even mention that name" Robert cut off his wife in mid-sentence. "I knew he was nothing but trouble and now to drag Sybil into this mess."_

 _Robert stopped his pacing and sat on the bed looking at his wife. "How could our kind, sweet, beautiful daughter have married that man?"_

" _She loves him Robert and we need to support them now."_

" _Support them? How can you even think of such a thing. Maybe it would be for the best if we turn him over to the authorities."_

 _Shocked at Robert's outburst, Cora tried to reason with him. "You can't mean that. What about Sybil and the baby. Have you thought what would happen to them?"_

" _Sybil and the baby are what I'm thinking about. How good is it for a child to have an arsonist, a wanted man, as a father."_

 _Tom didn't hear this conversation but the feelings Robert voiced remained with him even in the light of day. He would never shake his belief that Tom was not worthy of his daughter's love._

Seeing Sybil's belongings brought a smile to Tom's face. He liked being around her things for it was a physical reminder of her presence. Of course he had his memories and photographs but sometimes it was nice to hold something in his hands that had been hers. He went to bed that night and slept like a baby.

 _It was the best time of day to him, just him and Sybil alone in their room, the room that had been Sybil's bedroom before she moved to Ireland with him. It was the only time he felt he could really be himself, he didn't have to pretend to be one of them, he didn't have to suffer Robert's withering looks or Violet's sharp tongue or the looks of pity from the rest of them._

 _He was already in his pajamas and was sitting in bed reading when Sybil came in. Their four month old daughter, Aoife, was soundly asleep in her cradle that occupied one corner of the room. That had been the first major disagreement between Sybil and her mother since the Bransons had fled to Downton. Cora thought Aoife should be in the Downton nursery watched over by a nanny but Sybil resisted that and insisted she would be her daughter's primary caregiver._

 _While Tom adhered to the Crawley custom of meeting in the drawing room before dinner, he generally refused to partake of the after dinner drinks in the drawing room instead preferring to relieve the house maid that watched over Aoife while he and Sybil ate dinner with her family. Trying to appease her family, some nights Sybil joined them in the drawing room after dinner and some nights retiring with Tom to their room._

 _Sybil gave her husband a warm smile before leaning over the cradle and lightly patting the head of her sleeping daughter. "You both look so peaceful" she commented as she began her nightly ritual of preparing for bed._

 _While he watched his wife brush her hair, although it was no longer the long locks he had dreamed of running his fingers through for years, he was reminded of all the changes they had been through. She had cut her hair into that short style not because it was popular or a sign that she was a modern woman but because of the ease of it. Without a lady's maid it was almost impossible to maintain her previous hair style and she had found it just too cumbersome and time consuming to manage it herself._

" _Matthew has offered us the estate agent's house" he blurted out without any preamble and trying to keep the tone of his voice neutral. Although he thought this would be a solution to his uncomfortableness in living at the house, he didn't want Sybil to feel pushed into moving. While he knew she missed their small flat in Dublin, she was back with her mother and sisters and if she wanted to keep that he would do so for it was his foolishness that had brought them here._

 _Sybil stopped her brushing and turned around to look at him. "Really?" her voice held a hint of excitement. "We could have our own house?"_

" _Aye love." He tried to hold back a smile but he had noticed the tone of her voice and the way her eyes had lit up and it gave him hope that she also wanted the house._

" _Oh Tom" Sybil cried as she threw herself at him showering his face with kisses._

 _Breathlessly he finally managed to utter "I take it this means you want the house."_

 _Sybil sat back on the bed and smiled deeply at him. "Of course I want the house. It will be just us again."_

 _Tom laughed "I think you're forgetting someone" nodding his head in the direction of the cradle and their sleeping daughter._

 _Sybil rolled her eyes at her husband. "Of course not silly. She's part of us."_


	5. Chapter 5

As was his custom, Tom was up early the next morning. There had once been a time in his life where he dreamed of being able to sleep as late as he wanted but a lifetime of working had made it his nature to get up early and now he relished those early morning hours.

He often left a still sleeping Sybil in bed, putting on a robe over his pajamas, and taking his morning tea out to the flagstone patio in their back garden. There he'd sit and enjoy the stillness around him, with the predawn quietness broken only occasionally by a bird chirping, watching the sky lighten with streaks of red, yellow or orange until the sun finally broke through. Usually by then Sybil would join him bringing with her a second cup of steaming tea and the morning newspaper. They'd sit there, side by side, sipping their tea, reading the paper both so content in their life and their love.

It was too early for breakfast, so Tom thought he'd take a short walk but instead he found himself heading for the library. He was surprised that the family had never sold any of the books for certainly some of them were first editions and would bring a good amount of money but he noted that it looked as if the collection had not been added to. There probably wasn't a book in here that hadn't been here when Robert was still alive.

 _To receive a call from Matthew at Tom's office at the newspaper wasn't alarming because Matthew called from time to time to discuss estate business with Tom, especially when Matthew thought his idea or plan was something that Robert would not be initially thrilled with. But from the way Matthew said "Tom" when he answered the phone, Tom knew that this was not an ordinary call._

 _It fell to Tom to tell Sybil that her father had died. He had gone for a long walk and returned saying he felt a little unwell and would lie down in his dressing room for a few minutes before tea which was a most unusual behavior for him. There he was found an hour later, looking like he was peacefully asleep, but no longer breathing. It was an unexpected but quick and peaceful end for the 65 year old earl._

 _While Tom and Robert had never become good friends they had entered into a state of cordiality if for no reason other than their mutual love of Sybil. And that love extended to the Branson children for Robert was a kind and loving grandfather. As the first grandchild, Aoife always had a special relationship with Robert. Tom had no doubt that when Robert visited them at the Estate Agent's house his real purpose was to see Aoife. He seemed to get no greater joy in life than watching Aoife run around with Isis in tow. It was a familiar sight for the villagers to seeing his Lordship walking around the village, his granddaughter in his arms and his dog faithfully walking beside him._

 _Robert had grudgingly accepted the Bransons' way of life when the two moved out of Downton and into the Estate Manager's house although he never understood Sybil's desire to lead a life so different from the one in which she was raised. It was only through working with Tom on estate matters that Robert came to appreciate Tom's hard work and intelligence and even accept his view points although he rarely shared them. For Tom and Robert their backgrounds were just too different for them to gulf the divide and become friends._

 _No one in the family was surprised when some of the former servants came for Robert's funeral. To Cora's credit, even in her grief, she had rooms arranged for some of them in the abbey although Tom thought Carson probably spent a very uncomfortable night in one of the upstairs bedrooms. He half expected to see Carson overseeing matters as if he was still the Downton butler since Tom was sure that Thomas didn't measure up to Carson's standards as the butler although he had now held that job ever since Carson had retired._

 _While Carson could accept Lady Grantham's offer of a room, he could not fathom eating at the dining table with the family and so breakfast saw him and his wife Elsie eating with the staff in the servants quarter along with Mrs. Patmore and John and Anna Bates who had also come back for the funeral._

 _Tom had found that the sadness of funerals, unless the funeral was for someone too young or of someone very close, was often lessened by catching up with people you rarely saw anymore and so it was with Robert's funeral._

 _Carson, Tom could never think of him as Charles, looked as stiff as ever even though he was of course no longer wearing a butler's uniform. It was Elsie, which Tom found much easier to say than Mrs. Carson, who had seemed to blossom with retirement and marriage. She talked of the contented life they led in their cottage in a small town on the south coast._

 _Mrs. Patmore also lived in the same seaside town and ran a three bedroom bed and breakfast. It must be the fresh sea air thought Tom for both she and Elsie looked as if they hadn't aged at all although Tom reminded himself that it had only been about four or five years since they retired._

 _John and Anna had left Downton shortly after Tom and Sybil returned to Ireland. Like Mrs. Patmore they also ran a bed and breakfast, only it was slightly bigger with seven guest rooms, in Durham. Anna and Sybil exchanged long letters at Christmas time so Tom was aware of how their lives were going. They had brought their five year old son with them and Tom thought he was a nice mixture of his parents' looks and personalities._

As Tom looked around the library he eyes fell on the section containing the books on politics and history which he had devoured when he had been Downton chauffeur. As he ran his fingertips over the spines of some of the books, he smiled to himself as he recalled the political discussions he and Sybil would have. While everyone thought they agreed on everything, he knew that wasn't the case but they could discuss their differences without being offended or giving offense.

Actually one of the things that had so attracted him to her was that she was willing to challenge his ideas and beliefs but not in the way her father would have with his thinking the political and class system of the early 1900s England was the best way. Tom had been surprised that Sybil, despite her very privileged but sheltered background, did not agree with those beliefs well before she met Tom. What had really shaped Sybil's politics was her desire for the freedom to choose her own life path and for the right of all women to do so.

Eventually Tom noticed the ledger that Robert had so diligently made everyone use lying in one of the bookcases and not its customary place on the desk. Wanting a bit of nostalgia, Tom took the ledger from the bookcase and thumbed through it seeing his and Sybil's names many times and usually for the same book. He chuckled thinking that if only her father had actually looked at his ledger he might not have been so astonished that night in the drawing room when they had announced their intention to marry. Then again, Tom thought, if he had noticed what was so plainly spelled out in his ledger he might have sent Tom packing well before Sybil was ready to come with him.

To his surprise the last page of entries had all been his, all made in 1929 and the early 1930s. He recalled that they had come for Christmas that year. He was surprised he had even had time or the inclination to read a book when he had come for Robert's funeral in 1930. He vaguely recalled visiting here in 1931, the first summer after Robert's death. It was the first time he had come with Sybil and the children for their yearly summer visit. And of course he had come here in1932, twice actually he and Sybil had come to Downton that horrible year.

 _Tom thought he had escaped Downton forever but here he was once again and just like that last time over nine years ago he wasn't coming back because he wanted to. Since they had returned to Ireland over four years ago Tom had not been back while Sybil came every summer for two weeks. This year she hadn't been able to come for her annual summer visit because their son Aedan was born in July making travel impossible for Sybil._

 _Cora pleaded with Sybil to come for Christmas since they had missed their summer visit. So it came to be that the Bransons came to Downton for Christmas 1929 arriving on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Although Tom had grudgingly come, Sybil threatening he would be otherwise be spending Christmas alone, he had to admit he did look forward to spending time with Matthew for they had become good friends while Tom worked as the Estate Manager._

 _His daughters, Aoife now nine and Roisin six, had talked for weeks about spending Christmas at the castle for that is how they always described Downton. Little Eamon, only two, was just excited for Christmas since this was the first one that he had some idea of Father Christmas and presents. The girls were a bit worried that Father Christmas wouldn't know they were in Downton but Sybil assured them Father Christmas would leave them a little something at Downton but most of their presents would be waiting for them when they returned to Dublin._

 _To their delight Christmas at Downton didn't disappoint the Branson children. From the moment they walked into the great hall and saw the huge Christmas that almost touched the ceiling of the two story room and adorned with probably over a hundred ornaments they were enthralled. When Tom saw the unbridled look of pure joy on their faces when the tree lights were turned on he knew the trip was worthwhile. Tom thought even five month old Aedan's eyes would pop out of their sockets when he saw the lights._

 _Tom had to admit Christmas was a magical time at Downton with the house brimming with decorations and good cheer. The scent of pine from the enormous tree and the numerous wreaths and garlands decorating the stair case pervaded the great hall. There was no escaping the Christmas spirit because even the library and drawing room were decorated with wreaths and garlands and brightly colored glass bulbs entwined among the garlands on the fireplace mantels._

 _There was even a small tree, although Tom thought it was the size of their tree in Dublin, in the children's nursery which all the children, except of course Aedan, participated in decorating with wooden, tin and felt ornaments. The older children, including Edith's ward Marigold, did get a bit peckish when Eamon and Mary's youngest, three year old Clarissa, dumped all the tinsel in two clumps on the tree and in the ensuing melee of trying to undo that grave mistake most of them probably ended up with more tinsel in their hair and clinging to their clothes than on the tree but all of the adults watching found the whole scene amusing._

 _There was a slight moment of bickering when Aoife as the oldest grandchild thought she should direct everyone's actions but Mary's sons George and Arthur would have none of that and George, sounding so much like his grandfather, reminded her it was their house and their tree. But a word from their grandmother Cora that Father Christmas was watching them brought the squabbling to a quick end._

 _The decorating party as Cora called it delighted the children who were rewarded for their efforts with milk, finger sandwiches and biscuits served in the library which in itself was a treat since children were never allowed to eat in there. While the children munched on their treats and compared their tree to the family one in the library, the adults sipped wine and whiskey. It was one of the few times that Tom felt truly happy at Downton._

Tom couldn't imagine that no one had used the library since the early 1930's. As he stared at the ledger page with only his name, Tom was engrossed in his thoughts and was startled when he heard Mary's voice. "I can't believe you found that old ledger."

"After Papa died no one really read these books. Mama, Edith and I were more into reading current novels" she continued as she walked over to stand beside him. "We started a very small library with our types of books in Mama's sitting room."

"Yet you never got rid of these books. Certainly when the estate needed money you could have gotten quite a bit for them."

"The same could be said for so much of the artwork" Mary replied. "But for me it was easier to sell off the houses we didn't need than things here. I would know if a painting was missing here and it would remind me of our change in fortunes every day."

"When Granny died we didn't need the Dowager House or Crawley House after Isobel died." Mary sat on the edge of the desk and looked out the window for a few minutes before speaking again.

 _That Violet had outlived Robert was a shock to all although some would say she was too cantankerous to die. But she did finally pass on at the ripe old age of 93 with her mind, and tongue, still as sharp as ever. By then she had seen the deaths of both her children as well a granddaughter, a great granddaughter and that of her greatest friend Isobel._

 _She remained at the Dowager House even though with the death of Robert she was no longer the mother of the current Earl of Grantham. Whatever talk there was of Isobel now being the Dowager Countess was quickly squelched by Violet since as Violet liked to point out that Isobel had never been married to an Earl of Grantham and therefore couldn't be the Dowager Countess. Whether or not that was correct was of no concern to anyone particularly Isobel although she did take great delight whenever Violet would grumble about something regarding the estate in pointing out that it was her son who was the current Earl and all such decisions were his to make._

 _Isobel could also rankle Violet with saying that Cora, as the widow of the Earl, was now the Dowager Countess and should, by all rights, have possession of the Dowager House. For her part, Violet couldn't think of anything much worse than sharing a house with just Cora, a feeling also shared by Cora. Cora never broached the subject with Violet and happily remained living in the abbey._

 _Indeed, Violet's only concession to the changing fortunes of the Crawley family was her cutting her household staff to just a butler and lady's maid who also doubled as the cook. She continued to dine at the Abbey several times a week and would still dress in evening gowns and gloves long after Mary, Cora, and Isobel no longer did so. When she finally appeared for dinner one evening dressed quite respectable but not in a gown the others were flabbergasted. Her only comment was "never say I'm out of touch with the times."_

"But your fortunes have certainly bounced back" Tom countered. "In fact, after talking with Arthur it seems like they're better than ever."

"Well you had some part in that too Tom. Your work with Matthew all those years ago really laid the groundwork for today." Mary smiled warmly at her brother in law. "Of course the hotel has been a major help. Although there are days I wish we had never done that."

Tom frowned in confusion at Mary's words. "Haven't you noticed all the signs around reading "Private" or "Family Only?" Mary asked. "You'd be surprised how many of the hotel guests, especially the Americans, try to sneak in here. You'd think with the money they pay they'd have better manners.

Tom chuckled at how Mary like that sounded. "You are an authority on manners" he couldn't help but say. "And I know how much the Bransons have tested that over the years."

"Now Tom" Mary began trying to sound like the snobbish Mary of yore, "your children were just a bit rambunctious but then you have to consider their father."

Looking at Tom she laughed. Picking up a candid photograph of a ten year old Sybil that had been Robert's favorite photograph of her and it had remained sitting here at his desk forty years after his death, she continued. "But if I think about it it was probably their mother that contributed even more so to their … shall we call it … liveliness."

 _Although Sybil would say she had a wonderful childhood with a loving family, she would be the first to admit that she wanted her own children to have a very different childhood than that of her own. So much of what Sybil enjoyed from childhood were activities that had been frowned upon or even forbidden but Sybil had chosen to ignore those rules._

 _When the Bransons visited Downton it seemed like the abbey came alive with the sounds of children's laughter. Compared to their more sedate cousins, the Bransons were like whirlwinds. Rainy days weren't to be spent playing with dolls or board games but rather racing up and down the long hallways or playing hide and seek with the abbey's endless places to hide. Sunny days were for chasing balls on the front lawn or playing tag or climbing trees._

 _Living in a city, the Branson children weren't use to having such a large expanse of fields and woods and even a creek to play in and they took advantage of it taking George and Arthur with them. When they returned to the house with their clothes dirtied or wet or the girls' hair flying every which way or their knees or elbows scraped, their mother would only ask if they had had fun._

 _While they ate biscuits or drank milk in the servants hall, still in their disarrayed clothing, Sybil would listen to them talking about the fun they were having. Sometimes she'd even relate a story about her own childhood adventures which would thoroughly captive them._

"And if I must say so myself they all turned out rather well" Tom smugly countered. Even yours."

Mary rolled her eyes in that way she had perfected. "To be honest, I sometimes think Arthur is more Branson than Crawley. I think that you and Sybil dropped him off in the nursery one day."

"Those were the days weren't they … when the children were young. This house filled with so much laughter" Tom sounded so nostalgic.

Taking a last glance at Sybil's photograph before setting it back on the desk, Mary remarked "I guess you noticed that your room still has a bit of Sybil's things. I should have sent them to you quite some time ago but some days when I need to think about something I go in there and sit on the bed and envision the wisdom Sybil would give me."

"Now that you're here I thought I'd let the girls look and see if there's anything they want. They might want some of her jewelry or even a piece of clothing. Although I guess that's really your place Tom to decide. I'll have everything mailed to you in Ireland so you don't have to carry it back yourself."

"I think the girls should look first especially Aine. She could pick out something to take back to Virginia for herself and for her mother."

Tom walked over to stand in front of one of the library's floor length windows. "I haven't really gone through her things in Dublin yet. I know Aoife took a few things but some stuff should go to Roisin and Aibrean or my other grandchildren."

Mary suddenly became aware of the time and the reason for why she had come to the library looking for Tom. Walking over to Tom, Mary put her arm around his. "I think it's time we head for breakfast."

 _They had been living happily in the Estate Agent's house for three months now. Aoife was beginning to crawl and Sybil spent much of her day chasing after her daughter while Tom worked around the estate. She enjoyed those days spent alone with her daughter but was now ready to do something more._

 _When Tom came home for dinner that evening, he could tell Sybil had something on her mind._

" _I've been thinking Tom that I want to go back to nursing."_

 _Tom was surprised it had taken this long for her to make that decision._

" _I'm sure Dr. Clarkson would be happy for you to work at the hospital."_

" _Well … I've been thinking about that. I know have so much experience but remember how hard it was for me to get a job in Dublin since I didn't have a nursing degree."_

" _So I've been thinking that while we're here I should take advantage of the time and go to nursing school."_

 _Tom knitted his eyebrows in perplexion. To his knowledge there wasn't any such school in Downton or even Ripon or Thirsk._

" _I thought I could go to York. I sent away for some information and it came today." Sybil walked over to the counter and picked up a packet. Returning to the table she sat the packet on the table close to Tom. "I could commute to school I wouldn't actually have to move there."_

" _I think it's a wonderful idea." Tom heard himself say although he wasn't sure how it would work out or for that matter where the money would come from to pay for it._

 _Sybil's face just beamed with joy. "Oh Tom I knew you would agree. I thought some days I could travel by train or you could even drive me there since your time is pretty flexible."_

" _And who would watch Aoife?"_

" _We could hire a local girl to come in or I'm sure Mama would let me take her to the Abbey and one of the house maids could watch her."_

" _I'm assuming we can pay for this with my salary?" Tom didn't want to sound negative but money was always an issue although he was making quite a bit now as the Estate Agent. He didn't want her to say her father would pay for it, he didn't want to be any more beholden to the man._

" _Actually I've decided to sell some of my jewelry."_

 _Seeing the look on her husband's face, Sybil got up and walked over to him. Kneeling beside him, she took his face in her hands. "I don't have any need for some much jewelry."_

 _This wouldn't be the first time she sold some of her jewelry. She had done so in the first year of their marriage in Dublin only then she had done it without telling him before hand. Although he knew they needed the money, he was ashamed that she had resorted to such measures._

" _I'd much rather have a nursing degree Tom than an emerald ring or necklace sitting in my jewelry box."_

 _Tom looked at the beautiful face of his wife. He could see the hope and happiness that radiated from her. He knew that getting that degree would make her so happy. "I think you'll be the star pupil in your class love."_


	6. Chapter 6

_It was late at night with the rain beating down on the roof of his cottage, normally a sound that would lull him to sleep but not tonight. He had tried reading but his mind couldn't concentrate on his book for his thoughts kept going to Lady Sybil Crawley the youngest daughter of his employer._

 _He knew he had overstepped the bounds of his job the first time he was alone with her in the motor car and he had spoken to her. Not only had he been bold enough to speak first but he had given her some pamphlets on women's rights and the vote he had picked up just for her. That had been over three years ago and countless conversations between the two, conversations that were no longer just confined to the motor car but also to Sybil's frequent visits to the garage._

 _As the years went by and their friendship grew, Tom realized he was in love with her and he was sure she felt the same about him which had embolden him to do what he had done when he'd taken her to York for her nurses' training._

 _And now he had to return to York to bring her home. How could he face her now, he had opened his heart to her and she had made light of it. Yet she had kept her promise and hadn't reported his audacity to propose marriage for if she had he would have been sacked immediately._

 _Carson had told him to be at the nursing college at noon to collect Lady Sybil. He was both anxious to see her again but also dreading to see her again. Was their friendship irrevocably broken by his boldness?_

 _To his surprise she was alone, sitting on top of one of her suitcases waiting for him although he was fifteen minutes early. As he pulled the motor car to a stop directly in front of her, Sybil stood up, lowered her head and with both hands smoothed down her dress._

" _I'm sorry my lady. I was told to meet you at noon." He said as he rounded the motor car, the apology coming smoothly off his lips, and sounding so much like the servant he was._

 _It was only then that Sybil looked up at him. "You're fine Branson. I did say noon." He could hear the anxiety or was it nervousness in her voice._

" _I didn't want anyone to see a chauffeur arriving for me."_

 _He recoiled as if she had slapped him, pulling back his hand that had been reaching for one of her suitcases._

 _He stood there not moving, not sure what emotions were showing on his face. After a few seconds she realized he had misinterpreted what she said and reached out to touch his arm but he stepped back and out of her reach._

" _No … no … Branson … I meant that … no one here knows I'm Lady Sybil, to them I was just Sybil Crawley from a farm in Yorkshire."_

 _She stepped forward and grabbed his arm. "I would never be embarrassed to be seen with you … Tom."_

 _When she said his Christian name instead of the usual Branson he felt as if an arrow had pierced his heart. They stood there, her with her hand holding his arm, staring at each other._

 _Finally Tom shuddered. "Right then" he uttered and picked up one of her suitcases. Once it was securely fastened to the back of the motor car he picked up the other one and fastened it, then opened the passenger door for her. "My lady" he said without any warmth in his voice as he automatically lifted his hand to help her into the car._

 _Neither spoke as he started up the engine. The tension in the air was clear to both of them. Tom glanced in the rear view mirror and saw that Sybil was staring at him._

" _It will seem strange, but nice, to be home" she said breaking the silence but Tom had no reply. He wasn't in the mood for polite chit chat, he had opened his heart to her and thought he deserved something more than idle chatter._

 _For the next twenty minutes as they drove out of the city and onto the road that would take them to Ripon, neither Tom nor Sybil spoke. He periodically glanced into the rear view mirror but she was no longer looking at him, rather her head was turned to the side as she stared out the passenger window, her hands lying on her lap with her fingers of one hand constantly rubbing back and forth the top of the other hand._

 _The area outside the car had become quite rural with only an occasional passing car when the silence within the car was broken by Sybil crying out "Branson pull over here please."_

 _Tom raised his eyebrows showing the confusion he felt. There was a wide expanse of flat land beside the motor car so pulling over was not a safety concern yet he wondered why she suddenly wanted to stop._

 _Tom had barely brought the motor car to a complete stop when Sybil threw open the passenger door and leaped out. Worried that she must be ill, Tom quickly set the brake and jumped out. But Sybil wasn't sick, she was standing up, looking out over the expanse of fields, now brown from the winter, that stretched before her._

 _He stood there watching her, unsure of what to say or do._

" _It was my first time away from home. It was my first time attending a real school" she said quietly while still staring straight ahead._

 _Tom had no idea what she was getting at so he remained silent._

" _I was nervous, unsure of myself despite all the encouragement from cousin Isobel and" she turned to face him "you."_

" _I want to be something more than just Lady Sybil, more than just a dilettante. Becoming a nurse means so much to me." She turned back towards the open fields. "Why did you have to pick then to tell me your feelings?"_

 _Rarely was Tom at a loss for words but she had surprised him with her question and it was obvious from the way she was standing there staring off into space that she was waiting for his answer._

" _I was afraid. What if after your training you were send to London or somewhere away from Downton … the thought that I wouldn't see you again … I … I … I couldn't let you go without letting you know how I feel about you."_

 _Still without looking at him, she slowly nodded her head._

" _Have I ruined everything?" The heartbreak so evident in his voice cut her deeply._

" _I want to make a success of my nursing. I want to prove to myself I can do it, that I can make something of my life that is something more than what is expected of me as Lady Sybil." She finally turned to look at him. "You've become my closest friend Tom but I can't go beyond that right now. Can you understand that?"_

 _His heart pounded, was she saying that it was possible in the future, that she … he suddenly had hope again._

 _The rest of the drive back to Downton was unlike the silence that had engulfed them during the first part of the drive. Now the two chatted continually with no silent gaps. Sybil talked animatedly of her training, so much so that she covered topics Tom could have lived with never hearing about but he would never tell her that for he never wanted her to feel that she couldn't tell him whatever was on her mind. For Sybil she was just so excited to have someone to share with since she knew her family wouldn't be interested in her training, no that was something only a friend, a very close friend, would be interested in._

By the time Mary and Tom entered the dining room only his granddaughters were there since the rest of Mary's family had eaten and then taken off to do their daily activities. Judging by the food on the girls' plates they hadn't been here very long.

"I hope you found your room to your liking and had a comfortable night's sleep" Mary commented to the girls as her way of saying good morning while Tom showed his familiarity by kissing each on the cheek.

Both girls nodded their heads as they said good morning to their great Aunt and grandfather. Neither could ever remember sleeping in such a luxurious bed or for that matter such a luxurious room.

"I think I could have stayed in that bed all day" Aine chuckled. "I can't imagine the President" then remembering she was in England "or the queen has a better bed."

"Well I think your grandfather has more plans for your visit than you lounging in bed … no matter how comfy it is." Mary smiled at Aine and thought if only she had a granddaughter so sweet.

After filling her plate, that is if one thought a piece of toast and a soft boiled egg filled a plate, Mary took her seat at the table.

"So what are your plans for today Tom?" Mary asked.

"Nothing's set yet. Arthur's asked me to drop by his office and discuss the estate. I want to take the girls to the Estate Agent's house and to show them the garage and the old chauffer's cottage and maybe walk into the village."

Mary smiled fondly at her brother-in-law. "Ah … all the places that meant something to you and Sybil." It was so hard for her to now imagine that at one time she had been so against her sister's friendship with this man.

 _It was something her granny had said that got Mary thinking about Sybil. Never one to hold back, granny had questioned her about Sybil's prospects and had suggested that maybe Sybil had a secret beau perhaps one of the soldiers that had been in her care._

 _So it was with her granny's remarks still ringing in her head that Mary had spied Sybil and the chauffeur in yard outside the garage having what appeared to be a rather intense conversation. What could they possibly be talking about Mary wondered as she watched the pair who were unaware of her presence. Her curiosity only grew when she decided to interrupt them and Sybil abruptly walked off clearly annoyed at something._

 _Mary had been too wrapped up in her own on-going saga with Sir Richard and Matthew to pay much attention to her youngest sister but now with granny's comments and having spied Sybil talking with Branson, Mary's curiosity had been sharpened._

" _He loves me and he wants me to run away with him."_

 _Whatever she may have thought was happening between her sister and the chauffeur was nothing compared to the reality and she was unprepared for Sybil's declaration. How could her sister even think of the chauffeur as a possible beau?_

" _You don't know him Mary" Sybil had defiantly spoken._

" _I know all I need to know about him. He's a servant."_

 _Sybil rolled her eyes, it was so like Mary to consider class first and foremost. "He won't always be a chauffeur. He has hopes and dreams and ambition."_

" _And is part of that ambition marrying the daughter of an Earl?"_

" _No that ambition is Sir Richard's." Mary felt as if Sybil had slapped her._

 _The two sisters stood facing each other in a way they had never done before. What has happened here Mary wondered. What has happened to my sweet and kind baby sister, has the nursing changing her that much or is it him?_

 _Surprisingly it was Mary that turned away first. The remark about Sir Richard had hit her in the gut for she knew it was true. Not that he didn't love her because she thought he did but she had no doubt her title was an allurement._

 _But Sybil wasn't ready to give in. "He's kind and intelligent" she spoke in a much more conciliatory tone. "He knows so much about history and politics."_

" _Are you in love with him?" Mary whispered although she hadn't turned to face Sybil but still stood looking out the window._

" _I honestly don't know. I've told him I can't think about love or marriage until this war is over."_

 _Well that was some comfort Mary thought; at least it meant Sybil wouldn't be running off in the night._

" _I'm not like you and Edith" Sybil continued. "I don't long for an estate to preside over."_

" _Well if you marry him that won't be a worry" Mary chuckled trying to lighten the mood. She wasn't happy about the situation and she wouldn't accept it but she knew Sybil well enough to know that she was stubborn and headstrong and wouldn't give in. No the way to change Sybil's wasn't to challenge her._

" _None of you have ever shown an interest in my nursing but Tom has. He listens to me talk about the good and comforts me about the bad things I've seen. He's so proud of me."_

 _Well, thought Mary, maybe I haven't given the man enough credit, he certainly knows what to say or do to entice Sybil._

" _Sometimes when my shift doesn't end till late, he'll have hot tea and biscuits or pastries waiting for me in the motor car or if he thinks I may have missed dinner he'll have a sandwich."_

 _My my he's certainly enterprising Mary thought._

" _You haven't had much chance … well you were such a success during your season but with the war and all … I just hate for you to think you won't have any alternatives once this war is over." Mary thought she'd try a different tack._

" _You'll see Mary. One day you'll see he's a wonderful man."_

 _Mary couldn't imagine that. There wasn't an end in sight to this blasted war so she'd spend what time she could trying to change Sybil's mind._

 _Mary took a seat on one of the chairs that sat facing the window. She patted the chair next to her. "Come sit down Sybil and tell me what it is about nursing that you find so thrilling." She wasn't naïve and gullible like sweet Sybil and she could play the game probably better than a chauffeur from the slums of Dublin._

After breakfast Tom and the girls decided to take a walk. He had no particular place in mind to walk to and it was probably only from habit that he found himself walking the girls towards the garage.

Tom thought it was a miracle that the old garage was still standing since it was no longer used as the main garage. It must have been in the late fifties, or was it when Matthew was still alive, he couldn't really remember, that the old stables had been converted into a new and larger garage.

He stood there in front of the old garage just staring at the closed doors for several minutes. Both Ciara and Aine could tell he was deep in thought.

"So this is where you worked Grand Da" Aine broke the stillness.

"Aye." He didn't move but stood just staring at the garage. It seemed so strange to see the doors closed in the daytime. When he had been the chauffeur it wasn't until he locked up at night that the doors were closed. Then as he stood there he realized that wasn't quite true. Sometimes when Sybil would sneak down to the garage late at night he'd close the doors so no one could see her.

He finally moved forward to open the doors. Although no one had used the garage in many years, the wooden doors opened easily. As he stepped inside, Tom felt he had been transported back fifty years.

Tears formed in Tom's eyes as he looked around the room. In his mind he didn't see the accumulated dust from years of disuse but rather the workbench with his tools and supplies lined up in orderly fashion. The years he had spent here, polishing cars that needn't need it or tinkering with them just to pass the time, waiting for Sybil to make her decision.

"Your grandmother would sneak out here to see me. She'd sit on that bench" Tom pointed to a now rickety looking bench "and we'd talk while I worked on the cars or pretended to work."

"She had to sneak out to see you?" Ciara asked disbelievingly.

"You must remember I was the chauffeur, a servant, not the sort of man a lady of the house could be seen with or talk to.

"Just because you were the chauffeur?" Both girls were stunned.

"You can't imagine what it was like then, there was a very rigid social order and the classes did not mingle. Sybil risked losing her family, her status, her friends when she chose me."

 _He had not only gotten use to her coming to the garage he now looked forward to it. He never knew when she'd actually come because it would depend on if she could escape the house without anyone seeing her._

 _He knew they were both taking a big risk well maybe he more so because if they were discovered he'd be given the sack and without a reference. Yet despite such a risk, he'd stay late in the garage until he was sure she wouldn't be coming._

 _At first it was politics, particularly women's rights and the vote, that brought her here. Now they had progressed onto other topics which would be anything one of them chose to bring up._

" _If you could go anywhere in the world where would you want to go?_

 _Her question surprised him since it was something that he had never really thought about. For someone like him travel wasn't much of an option._

" _Probably Paris."_

" _Of all the world you'd want to go to Paris?"_

" _Why not? It's supposed to be beautiful. Then there's the food and the wine … and of course the women. I understand they do this dance …" he suddenly stopped realizing maybe that was too risqué to be talking about with her._

 _Although her cheeks might have reddened a bit, Sybil just rolled her eyes. "Seriously anywhere in the whole wide world and you'd pick Paris because of the dancing women?"_

" _Well where would you go?"_

" _Japan or at least somewhere in the orient."_

" _And why is that a so much better choice that Paris?"_

" _Because it would be so different from here. I remember as a little girl I was fascinated with this book Papa has that has drawings of pagodas, and trees, and flowers that I've never seen. And the colorful kimonos."_

" _So I want to see dancing women and you want to see trees and flowers?"_

" _Well if you're not going to be serious about this we'll just have to change the subject. I'm almost finished reading …"_

" _Egypt"_

" _What?"_

" _If I could really go anywhere it would be to Egypt. I want to see the Pyramids and The Sphinx. I'd want to take a ride down the Nile. I want to see the treasures of the ancient world."_

" _Those would be wonderful to see" Sybil concurred._

" _And the women do that belly dancing."_

 _Sybil picked up the closest thing to her sitting on the workbench and threw it at him. Lucky for him it was a sponge and not a wrench especially since it hit him on the shoulder._


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to tammyteresa who continues to faithfully review. Thank you.

* * *

"This is where so much of our story took place, that is the beginning of our story" Tom stated as he stood in the middle of the dusty garage with his two granddaughters standing on either side of him.

Both girls were intrigued by their grandfather's remarks. It wasn't only his voice but the gleam in his eyes that conveyed to them how much this garage had meant to him and by extension their beloved grandmother.

"It seems kinda strange that with this vast estate all around you that this little room …" Aine wasn't sure how to express what she was thinking.

"But that's just it. We didn't have this vast estate ... you have to imagine what this place was like then. I, as the chauffeur, wasn't allowed in the house at least nothing above the servants hall except for the library and only that when no one in the family was there and Carson, the butler, allowed me entrance."

Tom glanced at his granddaughters "and of course your grandmother couldn't come down and chat with me in the servants hall" he chuckled. "Nor could we be seen walking around the estate together."

 _She came quietly into the garage and stood before the large map they had tacked onto the wall. The map was their way of keeping track of how the war was progressing. Her hand reached up and touched the map somewhere in France. He knew this meant another of her friends had been wounded or more likely killed there._

 _When she finally turned around to him look at him he was surprised there were no tears in her eyes._

" _I've made a very big decision" she declared._

 _He couldn't imagine what would constitute a big decision in her world._

" _I'm going to become a nurse." She stood staring at him as if waiting for him to make some sort of protest like her family did._

" _How … what … what made you decide that?"_

" _I can't keep doing nothing especially when I hear of friends that have been killed. I need to do something for the war more that is than getting prizes for the tombola."_

" _I think any man that would have you as a nurse would be very lucky." He knew that if he was wounded he would want someone like her to be his nurse and not just because he'd want to feel her touch but that she'd do whatever in her power to heal him._

 _The big smile that broke out on her face told him she was pleased with what he had said. "You really think I would be a good nurse?"_

" _I have no doubt. You'd care about your patients, they wouldn't just be faceless men to you. You'd want to make them better."_

" _Oh why can't my family see that?"_

 _He wasn't surprised that her family wasn't pleased about her decision. "They don't want you to become a nurse?"_

" _The only thing they want for me is to be married to the son of an Earl or better yet a Duke."_

" _Even Mama is against it" she said before doing a good imitation of Lady Grantham's American accent "Nursing just isn't something a Lady should do especially with the horrible things you'd be exposed to."_

 _Tom chuckled at her imitation although he was surprised that Lady Grantham would be so opposed to it. Old Lady Grantham yes and certainly Lord Grantham but he always thought Sybil's mother was a bit more liberal than them._

" _How can they expect this war to go on and it not affect us? We still dress every evening for dinner and sit down to a ten course meal as if nothing has changed."_

" _So is this something you've thought of or do you have an actual plan?"_

" _Cousin Isobel who actually suggested it has some contacts and she's gotten me into a nursing college. I leave next week."_

 _Tom was left speechless while all he could think about was that she was leaving next week._

 _Sybil looked at him expectantly waiting for some response to her announcement but all she saw was the blank mask that Tom had mastered to hide his feelings, a look that all good servants were fully able to do._

" _Tom?" she quietly uttered wondering why he hadn't congratulated her. Surely his words of encouragement hadn't been just for show. "Tom?" she said a bit louder._

" _I'm just surprised that you have it all arranged and that you're leaving so quickly" he finally managed to say while the thought that she was going away left him devastated._

 _But Sybil, so consumed with her plans, didn't pick up on his hesitance, merely smiled "I'm lucky there was a cancellation and so cousin Isobel was able to get me in right away."_

" _Where … how long … will you …" Tom sputtered like the fool he was feeling. "How long will you be gone?" He finally managed to say while silently praying it wouldn't be forever._

" _The training is for two months then I'll be sent somewhere … maybe here to the Downton Cottage Hospital."_

 _He had never seen her so excited, so animated, as she continued to talk about her training. Suddenly she turned serious "So you really think I can do it?"_

 _Looking at her beautiful face flush with excitement, Tom felt a pang of remorse that he had only been thinking about himself. "Of course you can do it" he hoped he sounded enthusiastic._

" _But I confess I'll find it awful lonely here without you."_

" _It's only for two months then I'll be back but I'll be back as Nurse Crawley not Lady Sybil."_

" _Well Nurse Crawley I'll count the days to your return."_

"I can't imagine being in love with someone but not able to be seen with them" Ciara stated.

"Well it took a while, more so for your grandma than me, to be in love."

"When did you know you were in love?" Aine asked.

"To be honest I'm not really sure. I was intrigued from the moment I met her. She was so beautiful and so different from what I was expecting … she surprised me with her interest in politics and women's rights. I just didn't think that sort of stuff would be of interest to a young rich aristocrat who seemed to have everything she could want."

Tom took another step into the room and then turned to look around him, his eyes once again settling on the old work bench that sat half under the work table. He could still picture the work table full of his tools, all cleaned and neatly organized, and Sybil sitting on the bench as he leaned against one of the motor cars, the two of them deep in conversation.

Tom suddenly chuckled and murmured "Uncle Tom Cobley."

"What?" both girls asked simultaneously.

Yet it seemed their Grand Da was deep in thought because he didn't respond. Ciara walked over to him and tugged on his sleeve "Who's Uncle Tom Cobley?"

Tom laughed "it was something Sybil said when she accepted my proposal." Then looking at his granddaughters who were looking at him as if he had lost his mind he told them the story of the night Sybil had finally accepted his proposal.

"That was the first time you kissed!" Ciara sounded stunned since she had just assumed that during all these secret visits to the garage that her grandparents would have engaged in a bit of kissing.

Tom shook his head as he looked at her. "It was such a different time then. It was actually quite daring for the time that we'd meet here alone. Girls like your grandma always had a chaperon with them if they even went for a walk in the park or if a gentleman caller came the chaperon would sit in the parlor with the couple."

Both girls groaned. "How did people get to know someone well enough to want to marry?"

Tom laughed. "Well for people like the Crawleys love wasn't really important for marriage was based more on titles and wealth and family connections."

"That sounds horrible!" Aine shuddered at the thought of marrying someone you didn't love.

"No wonder Grand Ma rebelled" Ciara declared.

"Well not every Lady had a handsome, intelligent, Irish lad waiting around for them" Tom laughed. The girls joined in laughing as they looked at their grandfather and could see how he must have been so appealing to their grandmother.

"Grandma always did say you were so cheeky" Ciara stated "and now I see what she meant."

After telling the girls a few more stories about their grandmother, the girls declared they need something to drink and to use the bathroom so they headed back to the house leaving their grandfather in the garage.

"I think I'll just sit here for a few more minutes" he told them.

He hadn't been sentimental about the garage in a long time maybe due to Sybil being with him on his visits to Downton. In fact it had even been a long time since he'd been in this garage maybe twenty years or so but now with Sybil gone being in the garage brought back so many memories. They had spent so much time in here getting to know each other, becoming friends. It had been their secret world, the only place where they could just be Sybil and Tom.

 _It was a cold rainy day with the wind gusting at times causing the windows of the garage to rattle. Definitely not the type of day to be out driving, no it was the type of day that Tom thought would be nice to be in Downton's library, sitting on one on those plush red couches, feet propped on the ottoman, a crystal glass of whiskey on the side table, and a good book in his lap. Tom laughed as he thought of himself doing just that and the horrified look on Carson's face when he found him there._

 _He was working under one of the motor cars when she blew in, there was no other way to describe Sybil's entrance for just as she pulled open one of the wooden doors a gust of wind hit her back blowing not only her but some leaves and loose gravel into the pristine garage and slamming the door firmly behind her._

 _Both of the motor cars were in the garage and having come through the empty servants hall, Sybil couldn't believe he wasn't in the garage. She stomped her feet and pulled at some leaves that had stuck to her skirt muttering "I can't believe he'd be out in this weather."_

 _A muffled voice replying "I could say the same about you" caused Sybil to jump._

 _The source of the voice was revealed as he rolled out from under one of the motor cars. Standing up, Tom grabbed a clean rag off the bonnet to wipe his hands. "Surely you can't need the car?"_

 _But as Sybil sat down on the work bench he knew she had come here to talk, something that had become a frequent occurrence._

" _Oh I just can't take it anymore" Sybil exclaimed. "We're no longer children but they'll just never change."_

 _Tom said nothing as he looked at Sybil, dressed in a plain dark blue skirt, white blouse, and multicolored blue jumper, sitting on the work bench as if it was a settee in the Downton drawing room and not a wooden bench in a garage. He wanted to reach out and pluck the two leaves that had become entangled in her glossy dark hair She was so beautiful his heart often skipped a beat when he saw her._

" _I'm guessing you're talking about your sisters."_

" _Oh! They're just so infuriating" Sybil stated. "It seems like they can't be in a room together for five minutes before they're bickering."_

 _Inwardly Tom was chuckling at seeing an agitated Sybil. She so seldom showed her emotions that he found it a revelation when she did._

" _I guess this calls for some tea" Tom announced as if he was entertaining. Since Sybil had begun visiting the garage Tom had set up a one burner hot plate in the garage along with a tea kettle, mugs and a supply of tea fixings._

" _So what happened today that caused this ruckus?" Tom inquired as he handed Sybil her tea. He pulled out a stool for himself and positioned it slightly to the side of her, close enough that if he stretched his leg could touch her knee but far enough that she wouldn't think he was too forward._

" _That's just it … it never matters." Sybil took a couple of sips of the steaming tea and then smiled at Tom. "But it does have an advantage, their bickering I mean, when I was little I use to wait until they'd start and then I'd make my escape knowing the governess or nanny would be tied up with them."_

 _She laughed as she remembered something. "I must admit sometimes when I really wanted to get away, like when it was a gorgeous day outside or I was really bored, I'd even get them started bickering."_

" _Sounds rather ingenious on your part."_

" _Was it like that with your brothers and sisters?"_

 _Tom chuckled. "No … not really … well sometimes my sisters would get mad when me or one of my brothers would steal a freshly baked biscuit or a slice of a pie or track in mud on a floor they'd just cleaned."_

 _He continued "we were all too busy to fight with each other. We went to school most of the day and then between our chores around the house and school work we didn't have much time to …"_

" _What kind of chores did you have?" Sybil interrupted him._

 _It was another reminder of how different their childhoods had been. As the rain continued to intermittently pour down, the Lady and the chauffeur sat in the garage talking and laughing until the afternoon had passed by._

When they had first returned to Downton, after their hasty retreat from Ireland, Tom would spend a great deal of time walking outside as a way of escaping the confines of the house and maybe more importantly the steely looks from his father-in-law who made it clear he was not happy with him. Tom knew that anything positive Robert did was for Sybil's sake and not his. The rest of the family were a bit more welcoming particularly Matthew and his mother.

When the weather became too cold or rainy to wander far, he would often end up in the garage which was the one place on the estate where he was comfortable. Since he was a small lad, Tom had been fascinated with motor cars, actually with all things mechanical. It was a fascination that would last all of his life since even today he could spend hours in a garage tinkering with a motor car.

 _Tom thought the chauffeur Robert had hired to replace him was a competent driver but definitely not a mechanic. The motor cars were never as sparkling as when he was the chauffeur and sometimes Tom would hear a ping or other odd noise that indicated the motor car needed servicing which Tom would happily do without being asked to do so. In fact, in was by accident that Matthew found Tom in the garage one afternoon working on one of the cars._

" _So this is where you escape to" Matthew commented after quietly observing from the threshold of the garage Tom working on the engine._

 _Until Matthew spoke Tom wasn't aware of his presence. He stood up as Matthew entered the garage. Picking up a clean rag and wiping his hands, Tom commented "Sprat is no mechanic." Then looking around the once pristine garage which he had taken great pride in he added "I can't believe how he's let this garage go."_

" _I had no idea it was you keeping the motor cars running" Matthew replied "but I should have guessed since they've been so much better since you've back here."_

" _Once the chauffeur always the chauffeur" Tom grumbled._

" _I didn't mean it like that Tom." Matthew was embarrassed that Tom thought he was demeaning him. He liked his brother-in-law and felt for him for he knew how unhappy Tom was to be back at Downton._

" _It's a skill that not many have." Matthew knew he wanted to ask his Tom for his help but didn't want to embarrass him. "Actually I could use your help."_

" _My help?" Tom sounded astonished._

" _As you know I've taken on a more responsible role and there are things that I think need looking into but I'm not sure I'm capable of doing so … I need the opinions and knowledge of someone like yourself."_

 _Tom had no idea where this conversation was going but Matthew certainly had sparked his interest._

 _Matthew continued "I want to make the estate more self-sustaining and more profitable. I've been reading up on new farming methods and equipment but I think you'd have more insight into such things."_

" _My grandfather was a tenant sheep farmer and I visited him in the summers but I hardly know anything about farming."_

" _Well even that is more than I or Robert or Jarvis for that matter know. But you do know machinery or at least have an interest in such things."_

" _Work with me on the estate Tom. I need you to help me. I want you to take over as the Estate Manager."_

 _Tom was flabbergasted but also flattered that Matthew would think he was capable of being the Estate Manager._

 _Matthew could sense Tom's hesitation. "I know it's not what you want but it could be temporary … while you look for another journalist job. It would give you something to do with your time besides try to hide from Robert."_


	8. Chapter 8

Her family and friends could use many words to describe her yet no one would ever think of the word "sentimental" not even Mary herself. Matthew had always called her pragmatic and she thought this was accurate.

She wasn't the type to save keepsakes or mementos even those things which had belonged to her children, there were no boxes filled with her children's favorite stuffed animals or toys, no collection of their childhood drawings. That was the sort of thing her mother had done and Mary had always thought it seemed so American not the sort of thing done by an English Lady.

Yet Tom's visit and the conversations with him had put her in a bit of a nostalgic mood for he was the only living link to her past, the only living person who had known Matthew, her parents, her sisters, and her Granny like she did. They had all been together during those early years of the century when so many of the important events of her life had taken place. Of course her children had known them but except for their father and Aunt Sybil their memories of them would best be described as rather fuzzy.

After Tom and the girls left on their walk, Mary retired to her upstairs sitting room which was her retreat, where she spent much of her time usually with only her husband Howard for company. During the day she'd come here to read or write letters or even do some needlepoint, oh how her mother would laugh at that, and in the evenings after dinner she and Howard would watch television here and converse while sipping a whiskey.

For years the room had been her mother's sitting room but now there was hardly any trace of Cora in the room. Mary had the room completely redone when she had decided to make it hers and so the heavy furnishings of the early century were moved to the attics and replaced by more modern, and comfortable, sofas and chairs. Gone also were the deep wine color of the walls and the heavy matching drapes which had given the room its dark Victorian look.

Now the room was light and airy with pale green walls and all the woodwork, including that around the large fireplace, painted white. The dark green brocade drapes that hung on each side of the four large floor-to-ceiling windows were only pulled tight across them when needed to ward off the winter chill or howling winds of a Yorkshire winter. Two deep lounge chairs with a shared ottoman were arranged in front of two of the windows forming the perfect place to sit and look out at the garden below.

Mary's purpose for coming to this room now were the only items of Cora's still in the room. Tucked in a large ornate mahogany cabinet which had proven to be too large and heavy to be carted up the narrow steps to the attic were photograph albums which Cora had so diligently compiled. Mary knew that in addition to photographs from Sybil's childhood there were photographs of Tom and Sybil from when they lived at Downton including some of the girls' mothers Aoife and Roisin as toddlers and she thought the girls would enjoy looking through the old photographs.

Mary thought the last time she had looked through these albums was shortly before her mother's death when she and Cora had spent the afternoon sitting in this very room reminiscing about the past. At the time both thought Cora still had a couple of months to live but to Mary's surprise Cora died quietly in her sleep a week later, the cancer having been much more advanced than anyone thought.

After Robert's sudden death in 1930, Cora emerged from her mourning determined to make more of her life. With Mary and Matthew firmly established at Downton, Cora spent several months with Tom and Sybil in Dublin, then she began spending more time at the Crawley London town house and then after the tragic events of 1932 finally moved there giving up any pretense that her primary residence was Downton. Taking advantage of what the city had to offer, she steadily built up a life of attending concerts and plays and museums. Gardening became a passion, not only taking care of the town house's garden but also visiting the many city gardens and parks where warm afternoons might find her sitting on a bench, book in hand but more likely watching people strolling by than reading. Cora remained in London, coming only to Downton for holidays until the bombings during the second World War made it too dangerous to stay there and so she returned to Downton to live.

Mary had forgotten just how many photograph albums her mother had made but luckily they were all labeled and so she was able to quickly find the albums she wanted. Piling several albums on the large coffee table, Mary settled down on one of the flowered sofas and opened the album that began with photographs taken very early in 1900. Mary knew from her own experience that it seemed parents photographed their first child extensively and with each further child the number of photographs dwindled but with the availability of new cameras around 1900 the reverse was true of Mary's childhood and so there were far more photographs of young Sybil than either Mary or Edith. Of course she and Edith were in many of those photographs, usually looking aloof or bored, and merely background props for the vibrant Sybil. While she and Edith seemed to wear the same expressions whether they were posing or in the rare candid shot, Cora had been able to capture a wide range of expressions with Sybil from broad smiles to deep concentration to even some of a tearful Sybil. But then that had been Sybil, adventurous, kind, loving and lovable so much more so than either Edith or herself.

 _Mary had finally escaped from the nursery and had her own bedroom. Mama had let her pick from several rooms in the family's wing and she had chosen the one with the dark red walls for it seemed the most sophisticated to her. Having her own room was a sign that she was maturing, that she was no longer a child but a young lady. That she would no longer have to sleep in a room with Edith was just a bonus._

 _She was snug in her bed when she heard faint knocking on her door but one of the pleasures of having your own room was that you didn't have to let anyone in if you didn't feel like having company._

 _But whoever was on the other side of the door didn't seem to share such beliefs for as Mary silently willed the intruder to go away, the door slowly opened. She would pretend to be asleep and that would surely make whoever the unwanted guest was go away. Mary lay there with her eyes tight shut and the covers pulled up around her chin._

" _Mary" the intruder whispered from the doorway. As Mary remained silent and with her eyes still shut, she heard the door close._

 _Happily thinking her unwanted intruder had left, Mary turned on her side and opened her eyes. She gasped at the unexpected sight of a small figure standing there beside the bed._

" _Did I wake you?" a six year old Sybil whispered. It was only because she was standing on her tippy toes that Mary was able to see her sister's face._

" _Sybil what are you doing here?"_

 _Getting no response Mary sat up. "Darling, did you have a bad dream?"_

" _No. It's just that … I …" Without waiting for Mary's response, Sybil jumped up onto the bed, crawled under the covers, turned on her side so she was facing Mary. "I thought you might be lonely in this big room all by yourself."_

 _Mary chuckled. "Actually it's quite nice having a room all to myself."_

" _Don't you miss us?" Sybil voice sounded as if she was on the verge of tears. Mary knew how quickly tears could come for the six year old._

 _Realizing how hurt her little sister sounded, Mary smiled at her "I miss you."_

 _Sybil nodded her head as if that was the answer she was expecting. She moved so she was laying on her back staring up at the ceiling. "Edith only wants to tell me stories about a princess and a handsome prince. I like your stories better."_

Mary was so engrossed in the photographs and the memories they brought that it was only the girls' chatter and laughing coming from the hallway as they passed by the sitting room that awoke her to the present.

"Oh there you are" Mary called out as she stepped out into the hallway and saw the girls moving back towards the grand staircase. "I've gotten out some old photograph albums and I thought you might like to look at them."

Both girls nodded with Ciara voicing "that would be grand" while Aine spoke at the same time "we'd love to."

Mary was quite pleased and gave the girls one of her warmest smiles. "I've set things up in my sitting room" she said as she turned back into the room expecting the girls to follow.

"I've been placing photographs in a new album that I thought you could take with you back to Dublin Ciara and some for you to take with you too Aine. I think these photographs would mean so much more to your mothers than to my children."

Mary patted the couch, a silent request for the girls to sit on either side of her. "I'm surprised Sybil never took these to Ireland with her."

The girls happily looked over photographs of their grandmother's childhood, occasionally asking a question such as who the others were in some of the photographs but generally just enjoying seeing their grandmother as a child. It wasn't until they came to the pictures of Sybil's season that the girls became rather animated.

"Surely Grand Ma wasn't married before Grand Da!" Aine exclaimed.

Mary laughed. "Those aren't pictures of a wedding but of Sybil's season."

Seeing the perplexed looks on Ciara's and Aine's faces Mary tried to explain just what the season was.

"She had to meet the King before she could date?" Ciara thought this was just so unbelievable.

"Well we didn't call it dating back then dear. You were presented and then you were eligible to be courted."

Both girls shook their heads as they laughed. "Grand Da was just telling us a bit about that" Ciara remarked.

Mary, her eyebrows frowned in that way she so often did when she was internally questioning something, look at Ciara. Then laughing she remarked "I'm sure your Grand Da had quite a bit to say about courting. Quite a bit that I don't know about I'm sure."

"Were you and the rest of your family really so surprised and opposed to Grand Da marrying Grand Ma?" Ciara asked earnestly.

 _Mary needed to take a break from all the last minute wedding preparations. Even though it was still early spring and only some early blooming bulbs were in bloom the sun was shining brightly so Mary, wrapped in a thin coat, thought a short walk in the gardens on such a sunny day would help calm her nerves._

 _She hadn't walked very far when she heard what sounded like muffled crying coming from someone hidden behind some dense lilac bushes. Curious as to whom it could be, Mary tried to silently creep towards the sound stopping just on the other side of the bushes. Moving a branch aside, Mary deeply inhaled when she realized the cries were coming from Sybil._

 _Rushing around the hedge to her weeping sister, Mary called out "Sybil dear whatever is the matter?"_

 _Mary abruptly appearing before her seemed to startle Sybil. Glancing up to see that it was her sister, Sybil tried to wipe away her tears. "What are you doing out here Mary?" she asked hoping she sounded normal and not as if she had been crying. "Aren't there wedding preparations you should be doing?"_

 _Mary ignored Sybil's questions and sat down beside her on the stone bench that felt surprisingly warm from the sunshine. Taking one of Sybil's hands and rubbing it gently with her own, Mary quietly again asked "Whatever is the matter?"_

 _Although Sybil was known for speaking out on matters of concern to her, speaking aloud of her feelings was a totally different matter. There she was so much like the Crawleys who believed emotions should not be openly displayed; it was the one trait that Tom had tried hard to change in her._

 _Sybil didn't reply verbally to Mary's questions, instead she withdrew her hand from Mary's gentle grasp and turned her head away from her sister._

 _But Mary wouldn't be deterred, she reached out to touch Sybil's shoulder, if her sister was upset she wanted to know why._

" _What's happened Sybil?" It was the first time Mary was finally alone with Sybil and she wanted to know how Sybil was really faring in her new life in Ireland. She didn't want to think that Sybil had put on a happy face just to escape any cutting remarks from Papa or Granny. "Did coming back here make you regret your decision?"_

 _At Mary's words, Sybil angrily pulled away from Mary and stood up causing Mary to think she was going to flee. Instead Sybil surprised her by turning around and facing her sister._

" _Regret my decision?" Sybil shrieked. "Regret my decision to go to Ireland and marry Tom?"_

 _Mary, surprised at Sybil's tone, nodded her head. "If you have regrets, we can help you, you don't have to go back to Ireland with him. We want you to be happy Sybil."_

 _Sybil stood glaring at Mary, her tears now replaced by defiance. "I thought when we got the money it meant that Papa wanted us to come here, that he was willing to accept Tom. But … but … instead" Sybil stopped speaking, looking around her as if she was unsure of where she was._

" _Papa is going on and on about Matthew and what a wonderful man he is and how lucky the family is while he just ignores Tom."_

 _Sybil's anger now caused her voice to quiver a bit. "No one is giving him a chance. No one is trying to get to know Tom."_

" _Regret!" Sybil thundered. "My only regret is coming back here." With that she turned and practically ran away. Mary was too dumbstruck by what Sybil had said to go after her._

"Things were so different then" Mary began. Looking at the girls' earnest faces Mary felt she really couldn't tell them what Sybil's family, including herself, had thought then. She couldn't tell them that they thought their Grand Da was so beneath them, so unsuitable not because of any personality flaws, heck they didn't even know him well enough to know his personality, no they thought he was so unsuitable simply because he was a servant.

"I'm afraid money and class position was so important then" Mary continued. "For a member of the family to become …" Mary stopped.

" _Sybil …" Mary hesitated. It was the first time Mary was alone with Sybil since their earlier meeting in the garden, she knew what she wanted to convey to her beloved youngest sister but wasn't sure how to say it. "I'm glad that you have no regrets. I just want you to be happy and I will try to get to know Tom. I know if he won your heart then he was to be wonderful."_

 _Sybil looked at her sister for a moment, studying the face of the sister that as a child she had always looked up to, the sister who had guided her through so much of her childhood, who had often been more like a mother to her than sister._

 _Finally her weak smile turned into a grin "Oh Mary I know you'll like him once you get to know him."_

 _Sybil's smile vanished as she finally opened up to her sister. "I'm not saying it's all been easy but being with Tom is worth it" Sybil continued._

 _Mary waited for Sybil to go on but she seemed to hesitate so Mary plunged in "What hasn't been easy?"_

" _I thought that since his mother said I could stay with her until the wedding it meant that she accepted the idea of Tom and I but that wasn't really true. She wasn't happy about me … that is what I was … am … the daughter of an English lord. She was afraid I was just rebelling and would run back here leaving a heartbroken Tom."_

 _Sybil stood and gently stroked her barely protruding belly. "But now it's fine. She realizes I love him."_

" _I guess mother-in-laws can be difficult" Mary replied. Then laughing she said "just look at Granny and Mama."_

 _Sybil joined in Mary's laughter. "Believe me I'm not sure Granny would win in a tangle with Mrs. Branson."_

" _Tom's younger sisters were much more accepting and I've become quite close to them especially Ciara."_

" _But what about how you live?" Mary pictured Sybil slaving away cooking and cleaning and waiting on Tom._

" _I love our flat. I love that it is ours. I did spend some of my trust fund decorating it and I enjoyed that so much." Mary was rather surprised how animated Sybil sounded._

" _But how do you find having to do the housework and cooking and still working as a nurse?"_

" _Honestly there have been times when I wish I had a housemaid or Mrs. Patmore" Sybil paused to laugh. "Well I'm sure Tom wishes we had a Mrs. Patmore."_

" _I'm learning Mary. Tom's mother and sisters have helped me with the cooking and you'd be surprise how good Tom can cook so sometimes when I come home he's cooked dinner."_

" _My that is surprising a man who can cook" Mary murmured._

" _Sybil … I didn't mean to upset you earlier" Mary said gently as she reached out to touch her sister. "It's just that it's such a change for you. I know you're stubborn and I don't want you to think that you can't let us … me … know if you're not happy."_

" _I know my life is not what you or even Edith would want but it's what I want. I have want I've always wanted Mary … I have my freedom. The freedom to be who I really am. Tom is so encouraging of me. Our marriage is truly one of equals."_

 _Sybil leaned over and kissed her sister on the cheek startling Mary with her action. "and then of course there's the physical side of marriage."_

 _Mary raised her eyebrows as her sister so breezily mentioned that. "Well I can see evidence of that" Mary chuckled as she patted Sybil's growing stomach._

"But I assure you that whatever any of us may have thought when they announced their intentions changed once we got to know your Grand Da." Mary stated although in her heart she knew that wasn't exactly true. Her father had never fully accepted Tom but she wasn't going to tell the girls that for it was so obvious in their manner that they adored their grandfather. After all she reasoned it was only her left from the family and she had accepted Tom a long time ago and had come to love him as a brother.

As if to end any further discussion of this matter, Mary reached for the photograph album and turned the page. It was a few minutes later when both girls squealed at the same time "It's the dress!"

Mary sat back and looked from one girl to the other with a look of puzzlement clearly etched on her face. "The dress?"

"When we were in the garage, Grand Da told us about when Grand Ma accepted his proposal and he described this dress" Aine pointed to the photograph.

Looking at the photograph Aine had pointed to, Mary saw Sybil was wearing a vee-neck black dress with gold trim. Staring at the photograph, Mary recalled she always thought that dress was a favorite of her sister's since she continued to wear it whenever they came to Downton in the early days.

But now as she looked at it, Mary remembered. "She wore this dress the night she and Tom told us of their intentions" she spoke softly her eyes fastened on the photograph.

She then looked up at Ciara and Aine. "I guess this dress had more meaning than I ever realized."

 _Now in her eighth month of pregnancy Sybil tired easily and found she needed to lie down in the afternoon. As was his custom this past month, that is since their humiliating return to Downton, he had taken a long walk in the afternoon after seeing Sybil tucked into bed for a quick nap or rest._

 _These walks weren't restful or even invigorating for Tom since he spent most of his time brooding over his current situation, now penniless, jobless and living back in Downton. They had left here with such high hopes for the future and then he had ruined it for them with one stupid act._

 _Even the thoughts of the birth of his first child gave him no comfort. He had been so excited when Sybil had told him she was pregnant although it was so soon after their marriage and certainly not something they had planned for just yet. He'd think of how excited Sybil had been to furnish the tiny second bedroom in their flat as a nursery, the furniture, the linens, the pale yellow walls he had painted at her insistence._

 _But now … now he was so afraid of the future. Instead of waking up every morning and heading for his job at the newspaper, a job he loved and had wanted for so long, he woke up in Sybil's childhood bedroom with no place to go and nothing to do. Instead of that sunny little room in Dublin their child would be relegated to the Downton nursery tended by a nanny rather its mother._

 _Yet his biggest fear was that he would lose Sybil. There was no mistaking that she had been disappointed in him when she learned of all the meetings he had attended but never told her about. He had promised to take her away from this place and this life and now they were back here. Would she come to see him as a failure, would she come to realize that she and their child would be better without him?_

 _When he returned to their bedroom late that afternoon, so late that he had missed tea, he was surprised to find Sybil wasn't there. Looking around the room he finally spied the white cream envelope simply addressed Tom propped up on her vanity table and his heart sunk._

 _With trembling hands he lifted the envelope from its resting spot on the vanity, yet he couldn't bring himself to open it. Still holding the envelope, he moved to the windows that looked out over the vast front lawn of Downton where he stood staring out those windows but not seeing anything. Finally, was it five minutes or ten or even a half hour he wasn't sure, he opened the envelope. It simply said_

 _Meet me at six in the garage_

 _Promptly at six Tom arrived at the garage to find the wooden doors closed even though it was a warm summer evening and both cars parked in the courtyard in front of the garage rather than in their customary spot inside. Taking a deep breath he quietly opened one of the doors._

 _Of all the things he had imagined in the past hour, the sight before him wasn't one of them. Sybil was sitting on the work bench dressed in the black gown with the gold trim, the dress that she wore when she told him she had made her decision, the dress she wore when they faced her family in the drawing room, the dress that had become his favorite simply because of what it symbolized to him._

 _She stood and smiled at him, one of her deep beaming smiles, as he entered the garage. Yet he could make no sense of what she was doing here in the garage dressed in one of her fine gowns._

 _The puzzled look on his face caused her to laugh. "Are you surprised I'm here or that I can fit into this dress?" she asked while rubbing her hand over her belly._

 _Before Tom could reply she continued merrily "Anna couldn't fasten the back, so it's loosely held together with some ribbons she sewed on. Certainly not something I can wear down to the dining room."_

" _Sybil … I … I …" Tom stuttered trying to figure out the situation._

" _But I had to wear this dress because …" Sybil laughed "well you know why."_

 _Then before Tom could say anything Sybil rushed to him and hugged him tightly. With her arms still around him, she tilted her head back so she could face him. "Happy Anniversary love."_

 _Tom was so overcome with emotion he could barely whisper back "happy anniversary." Then realizing he was holding her in his arms in pulled her in and kissed her deeply._

 _Coming up for breath a few minutes later, Sybil laughed "I thought for a minute there you had forgotten …"_

 _He couldn't admit that with everything that had been going on this past month he had forgotten. "Forget the day I longed for for so long?" he hoped he sounded convincingly._

 _After a few more minutes of passionate kissing, Sybil took his hand and led him to the old work table. He hadn't noticed a red checkered cloth had been placed over the table hiding whatever was sitting on top of the table. Sybil pulled the cloth off revealing a serving platter filled with a roast chicken surrounded by roasted potatoes and green beans, another platter with a variety of cheeses and breads, a small cake resting on a plate and a pitcher of cold lemonade._

" _I baked the cake this afternoon" Sybil proudly proclaimed. "The rest is Daisy's doing."_

 _For the first time since they had come back to Downton, the couple ate and talked and laughed as if they were in their cozy Dublin flat. Years later they would always agree that it was a most special anniversary._


	9. Chapter 9

_Although he had now been at Downton for three days Tom had yet to meet Lady Crawley and her daughters. He found this surprising and asked Anna if it was usual for the ladies to so rarely venture out of the house._

" _They've just returned from London" Anna replied "where they're always so busy so they take a few days to rest up."_

" _Oh yes they need to rest up" O'brien chimed in, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "They're so worn out from all those dinners and parties and shopping trips."_

 _Anna ignored O'brien and asked Tom if he was finding the job too boring._

" _Oh no. Well I did think I'd be doing more driving but I've been organizing the garage and doing a few upkeeps to the cars so I've been keeping busy."_

 _Tom's curiosity about the Crawley women was met the next day when he drove Lady Crawley and the two younger daughters to the village where the annual fair was taking place. Tom of course could not participate in any of the fair's activities or even walk around to see what was offered since he had to remain with the car so that there would be no delay for her ladyship whenever she decided to depart._

 _From his vantage point beside the motor car which he had parked on a side street, Tom had a good view of the fair which had been set up on the village green. However, it wasn't really the rides or booths of the fair that he was watching but rather the object of his interest was Lady Sybil._

 _In the servants hall, Tom had overheard snippets of gossip concerning the daughters and had concluded that the consensus was that the eldest, Lady Mary, was beautiful but haughty and that the middle one, Lady Edith, was rather timid but could be just as demanding as her elder sister, and that neither were particularly liked by the staff. However, Lady Sybil was thought to be kind, sweet, and good natured and was well-liked._

 _What Tom couldn't believe was that no one had remarked how stunning Lady Sybil was. With her lovely smile that had lit up her face as she welcomed him to Downton in that unexpected husky voice, the sparkling blue eyes that matched the sky blue outfit she was wearing, and the rich dark brown hair that peaked out from under her dark blue hat, she was simply the most beautiful woman he had ever met._

 _Now he couldn't take his eyes off her as he watched her walk around the fair. He noted that she easily laughed, a laugh that was the most delightful sound. She appeared much more natural and at ease in greeting the townspeople than her mother or sister._

 _Tom was no novice when it came to women. Since he was fifteen he had charmed and been charmed by women but no one had ever captured his heart. Looking at Lady Sybil he feared that was about to change._

On his way back to the house from the garage Tom made a detour to his home for seven years, the old chauffeur's cottage. The cottage didn't really hold any memories of Sybil since they had never spent time there. It was one thing for her to come to the garage for if she should be caught there she could always claim she was ordering the car but being caught in the cottage would have been a totally different, and unexplainable, matter.

He couldn't believe the transformation of the small brick building that had been his home for so many years. Unlike the old garage which had an air of neglect from it no longer being used, Tom's old home had been transformed into a pretty little cottage which was now the home of the groundskeeper. There were new wooden shutters framing a large multi-paned glass window in the parlor as well as the smaller bedroom window. They had been painted a glossy dark green which matched the paneled front door that was bordered on either side by tall old fashioned milk containers that were filled with flowering plants and a sisal welcome mat set in front of the door. That plus the white lacy curtains that were hanging at the windows set off by an array of colorful blooming plants that were billowing out of black flower boxes attached to the bottom of both windows gave the cottage a very homey and welcoming look which made it so different from when he had lived there that for a moment he wondered if he was actually looking at the right building.

As he stood gazing at the front of the cottage he recalled how excited he had been to have his own living quarters, a novelty that had been an unexpected bonus when he applied for the job as the Downton chauffeur.

The one bedroom cottage that was fitted with electricity and its own bath was a far cry from the tiny room tucked in the attic of the decaying mansion of his former employer where he shared a bath with all the other male staff or even the small bedroom back home in Dublin that he'd always had to share with a brother or two.

 _Tom spent his first day as chauffeur at Downton Abbey settling into his cottage as well as the garage. The cottage was clean but showed signs of obvious wear with stains on the wooden floor and peeling wallpaper in the bedroom. It was by any standards small with only two rooms and a bathroom. The larger room was a combination parlor, kitchen and dining room._

 _The chest in his bedroom looked woefully empty even after he had unpacked his suitcase. His two suits and a jacket barely made a dent in the tiny closet although the space was eventually filled by his second uniform. A photograph, taken when Tom was twelve, which had both of his parents and all of his siblings was placed on the small table next to his bed. This was the only photograph he owned of his father. A more recent photograph of just his mother and his younger sisters he placed on the small table that sat beside the rather worn sofa in his sitting room._

 _He also had two pieces of embroidery which his sisters had done and he hung one in each of the rooms. A blanket that his mother had knitted for him was placed across the sofa back since it was May and Tom didn't think it would be cold enough that it would be needed for the bed._

 _He was disappointed there was no writing desk but there was a two shelf bookcase that he used for the books he had brought from home. His mother had questioned the wisdom of using one of his suitcases to fill with books, writing paper and pens but these were items that Tom thought were necessary for a happy life. If circumstances had been different, maybe if his father hadn't suddenly died leaving not only a bereft family but one without a breadwinner, Tom might have become a writer or a teacher._

 _After unpacking his meager belongings, Tom made himself a cup of tea. Luckily someone had thoughtfully left a tin of tea, a loaf of fresh bread, a small dish of butter, and a tin of biscuits. He took his steaming mug and a piece of buttered bread and sat on the sofa. Looking at the photograph of his mother he raised his mug as if in a toast and uttered "I'll make you proud ma."_

As with so many things in life though Tom had found having his own place had both its good points and bad points. For the first time in his life he had privacy not that he had anything to hide but it was nice to be able to take a bath for as long as he wanted and to be able to wander around in his pajamas. He enjoyed the peace and quiet which enabled him to read and write far into the night.

Yet he had found that it could also be quite lonely and by nature Tom was not a solitary soul. Since he had his own cooking facilities it was expected that the chauffeur would cook his own meals but Tom found he enjoyed the camaraderie of sharing meals in the servants hall and of course there was the added bonus of Mrs. Patmore's delicious cooking.

 _Tom was surprised by the knock on his front door. He was even more surprised that the young lad, a junior footman or maybe a hall boy Tom wasn't sure of the proper term, told him that Mrs. Hughes wanted to see him in her office right away._

 _As Tom followed the young lad to the house, he wondered what Mrs. Hughes wanted to see him about. Probably some more instructions that she or Mr. Carson had forgotten to cover this morning. While he had immediately liked Mrs. Hughes who seemed rather motherly, he had found the butler to be rather persnickety and pompous. Even his lordship, when Carson had taken him to the library for their first meeting, seemed more likeable than the butler._

 _Actually Tom had been surprised by his lordship for he did not seem stiff at all, in fact he seemed much more agreeable than Tom's preconceptions of what an English lord would be like; although this may have been clouded by his consent to let Tom use his library._

" _Mrs. Hughes you wanted to see me." Tom stood at the doorway looking at Mrs. Hughes who was seated behind her desk._

" _Please Mr. Branson come in and have a seat" she said kindly._

 _Tom nodded at her as he entered her office. Taking a seat in one of the chairs positioned in front of her desk, he waited for her to talk._

" _I hope you have found the cottage to your liking" she began._

" _Yes ma'am. It seems very comfortable."_

 _Mrs. Hughes nodded as if she was pleased to hear him say so. "Since you're just getting settled I thought that you'd like to share dinner with us tonight."_

" _That's very kind of you. I would like that very much." Tom hated himself for sounding so subservient but he was grateful for her thoughtfulness._

 _With Mrs. Hughes leading the way, Tom found that most of the servants were already seated at the large table in the servants hall and conversing in small groups among themselves. However silence quickly took hold as they realized Mrs. Hughes had entered the room. She introduced Tom as the new chauffeur, although in his green uniform it was obvious what his job was._

 _As he took a seat at the far end of the table next to a man who introduced himself as John Bates he noticed some of the younger housemaids shyly smiling at him. Although he politely smiled at all seated at the table, Tom knew that he would not entangle himself with any of the housemaids for that was one lesson he had learned at his last employment._

 _The job of chauffeur was a rather new one in many of the estates and it was hard to pinpoint exactly how the chauffeur fit in with the other servants. With a specific skill, the chauffeur was set apart from many of the servants He wasn't a member of the house staff yet he wasn't in the same league as the outdoors staff either. He was in the higher echelons of the servant class and with his better pay and own cottage, he was considered a good catch._

 _It didn't escape Mrs. Hughes notice that some of the housemaids seemed attracted to the handsome Irish man and not for the first time she wondered why his lordship had hired this young lad for such an important position. Although so far her impression was that he seemed a rather serious fellow, she thought that she would have to keep her eyes and ears open to ward off any potential trouble._

Maybe it was being in the garage and then looking at his old cottage, maybe it was his memories of his time there, but Tom found himself entering the house through the servants entrance. It had been a long time since he had been in here since as a member of the family he had no reason to do so.

In all the years he had been coming to Downton the family's quarters had seen very little change. Certainly there was no change from the 1920s great hallway to how it looked today. If Robert came back from the grave and walked into the dining room he would feel at home for Tom thought there probably hadn't been any change to that room either. The drawing room, library and parlor still had the same wallpapers and artwork and even much of the same chests and tables and knicknacks. It seemed that only the sofas and lounge chairs were different.

The same could not be said of the old servants area. To his surprise the entire area had been updated and transformed so much so that at first he wasn't sure where he was. The spotless kitchen of Mrs. Patmore's day was now brightly painted and equipped with all the latest appliances.

The servants hall which had been where they ate their meals and relaxed, that is as much as servants could relax, had been transformed into a sitting room with two sofas and a television set on one side and a small table with four chairs on the other side.

 _As was his custom while he waited to take old lady Grantham home after dining with her son and his family, Tom sat at the table in the servants hall reading a newspaper. When his lordship finished with the newspapers, Carson would leave them in the hall for anyone to read but it seemed that only Tom availed himself this opportunity._

" _You're taking advantage" came the shrill voice of O'brien. "You shouldn't be in here."_

 _Unperturbed, Tom casually glanced over the top of the newspaper at the sour faced lady's maid. "I'm waiting to take old lady Grantham home."_

 _But O'brien wasn't mollified. "You shouldn't be eating with us either. You have your own cottage. Taylor never ate with us."_

 _Although he was really only friendly with Anna, Gwen and Bates, Tom had found most of his fellow servants to be pleasant except for O'brien and Thomas. Neither were very happy in life and seemed to take out their unhappiness on those around them. Unlike some of the guileless servants like William and Daisy who were easy marks for them, Tom wasn't scared or intimated by them. He didn't trust them yet he was wise enough to not fall for their schemes which made them dislike him all the more._

 _Tom didn't bother looking at O'brien. "I'm not Taylor."_

 _O'brien thought the chauffeur was too full of himself. She wanted to snatch that newspaper out of his hands and slap that smirk off his face. He fancied himself too good but one of these days she or Thomas would take him down a peg or two._

" _I don't understand why Carson allows it" her voice dripping with venom._

" _You don't understand why MR. Carson allows what Miss O'brien?" The butler's deep voice boomed surprising both Tom and O'brien would had been unaware of his presence._

 _O'brien glared at Tom. "I was just wondering why the chauffeur continues to eat his meals with us when he has his own cottage."_

" _I think it would be best for you to concern yourself with your own duties O'brien and not that of others." Her face turning red, O'brien suddenly became engrossed with her sewing._

 _Tom knew that this dressing down from Carson would only anger O'brien more. He had wondered what had made her so spiteful to those around her but had concluded that she was just one of those people who would never be happy in life._

While the room now looked cozy and as if it was a parlor in someone's home rather than the servants hall, Tom couldn't help but recall how the room had been. He could picture the large table that had dominated the room. In his mind he saw Anna and Bates and Gwen sitting there along with the rest of the servants eating their meal with Carson presiding over the table and Mrs. Hughes sitting to Carson's right. He pictured poor sweet William, long gone to his grave at too early an age. He pictured he and Bates taking over world events. He pictured scheming Thomas and sour faced O'brien.

It had all been so long ago but Tom could see it as if it was just yesterday.

Other than himself, Gwen had been the only one to escape service. Becoming a secretary had only been the beginning of a better life for her.

It had probably been ten years or so since he had last seen her when during one of their trips to Downton, he and Sybil had taken a day to visit her at her house in some small town on the other side of York. He had received a lovely card and letter from her after Sybil's death.

Wait he thought … Daisy … she had escaped service also. When Mrs. Patmore retired to run her bed and breakfast, Daisy, as expected, had been promoted to cook. But only a year or two later she surprised everyone when she decided to take over Mr. Mason's farm. Yet the real surprise had been the successful food business she soon started selling homemade jams, jellies, confits, and sauces.

Tom's mouth watered as he thought of the oranges marinated in spices that was his favorite of Daisy's products. Every Christmas he and Sybil received a box containing an assortment of delectables.

As far as he knew with Anna's death only a few months ago, Gwen and Daisy were the only ones left from those days. It had probably been in the early 1950's when Thomas retired and moved to sunny Portugal or was it Spain? Surprisingly Thomas and Sybil had remained in touch, their shared experiences during the war forming a bond between the two. Every year in his Christmas card Thomas would invite Sybil to visit him in Spain or was it Morocco? Tom had always told her she was welcome to go but he would remain happily in Ireland. Then one year a card came from a young man that said he had been Thomas' "companion" explaining that Thomas had died peacefully in his sleep two months before.

However, O'brien had not met such a peaceful ending as her one time scheming partner. She had stayed in India after the Flintshires had returned to England. It was probably three or four years later that word filtered back to Downton that she had been found lying lifeless on the ground one evening in the otherwise lovely and fragrant garden on the governor's property. It wasn't until the body was moved that the cause of death became apparent as there was a gaping wound in her back. Tom had thought at the time that it was a rather fitting death for the petty schemer. The only odd thing Tom thought was that her ending came in such an exotic place and he wondered whether it was a member of the colonial staff or a native that she had enraged enough to deliver such a wound. But his curiosity such as it was, was never satisfied because the culprit was never found.

As he stood there looking around the room and thinking of the past, he didn't realize that a figure had rushed into the room from somewhere down the hall.

"Mr. Branson" a voice called out. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Broken from his thoughts, Tom looked at the flustered face of Mrs. Hanes, Downton's housekeeper and the wife of the butler.

"No … no … Mrs. Hanes. I was just making my way back from the old garage and came through this way."

Taking a last look around the room, Tom stated. "It's changed so much here I hardly recognize it."

At first Mrs. Hanes was a bit lost as to what he could mean, then she remembered that this fine gentleman had once been a chauffeur here. When Mrs. Hanes had first heard the story of Mr. Branson and Lady Sybil she had been quite surprised that the well-spoken and seemingly educated Irishman had once worked as the Downton chauffeur.

"Ah …" she began in her motherly voice. "I heard you once worked here."

Tom looked at her and smiled. "It was a long long time ago … so much so that it feels like another lifetime."

"I can't imagine what it was like back then. I mean with so many servants."

Tom chuckled. "Well the family lived a very different life then. His lordship's newspapers were ironed before they were presented to him. And in the evening there would be two or three footmen to serve while the butler presided over the meal which would be seven or nine courses. The women all had lady maids to help them get dressed and undressed which they did several times a day."

"My things have really changed. I guess all the modern appliances we have now have certainly made a difference."

"And Lady Mary can dress herself these days" Tom laughingly injected.

Mrs. Hanes blushed at the Irishman's frankness.

He gestured around the room "I'm surprised that this now looks like a sitting room."

"Well there's only the four of us that live in so we made this into a more comfortable area. And Mr. Hanes and I have our bedroom down here now so it really is like our parlor. The cleaning crew all live locally and just come in for the day."

Just then Michael and Lucinda came in with each carrying a large tray.

"Oh Mr. Branson" Michael spoke up. "Lady Mary and your granddaughters had lunch in Lady Mary's sitting room. She's asked that you join. We've left a tray for you there."

A glance at his watch told Tom that he had spent far more time wandering around the garage and cottage that he realized. As he made his way up to Mary's sitting room, he wondered why Mary and the girls had eaten lunch in her sitting room. He chuckled to himself as he thought "my things have changed" but his curiosity was also aroused as to what they had been doing.

 _Lady Mary was the last of the family he met for she was in London the week he arrived at Downton. He had overhead snippets of gossip in the servants hall and had concluded that the consensus was that she was beautiful but haughty, could be difficult and that much of the staff was rather afraid of her._

 _Tom was delayed getting to the railway station by five or ten minutes since at the last moment he had to drive old lady Grantham home._

 _It was quite easy for Tom to determine that the well-dressed woman standing on the end of the platform, impatiently tapping her foot was Lady Mary. As he approached her he noted that although she had the dark hair of her mother and youngest sister, she didn't have their sparkling blue eyes. Her eyes looked as black as night, especially with her very pale complexion, and there was certainly no warmth in them as she looked at him._

" _I'm sorry my lady but .."_

" _Taylor was always on time" she growled cutting off Tom in mid-sentence as she marched passed him to the open passenger door of the motor car where she then stood waiting for his help._

 _There was no conversation during the short ride from the railway station to the abbey. Tom kept glancing at her through the mirror noticing that she sat with her back ramrod straight and her head turned facing the window._

 _Arriving back at the abbey, Carson stood at attention, waiting to escort the passenger to the front door._

" _Welcome home my lady" Carson gushed as he opened the passenger door._

" _I don't expect to be kept waiting at the railway station Carson" Mary responded. "Maybe you need to impress upon the new chauffeur of what is expected of him."_

 _Carson glared at Tom. "I'll ensure that it won't happen again my lady."_

 _As Tom waited for the footman to finish unloading her suitcases, he watched the back of Lady Mary and Carson as they walked towards the open doors of the house. Those descriptions were only partly right he thought, she is haughty but the beauty in the family is the lovely Lady Sybil._

As soon as Tom reached the second floor landing he heard the rather unexpected peals of laughter coming from Mary's sitting room. It was a sound that Tom thought so rarely pervaded the halls of Downton unlike the Dublin home of the Bransons.

Standing in the doorway, Tom's heart was warmed by the sight of Mary and his granddaughters sitting cozily together on the sofa, engrossed in what appeared to be a book that Mary was holding on her lap with similar such books lying on the coffee table in front of them. Tom couldn't imagine what book, or books, would cause such merriment but there was no mistaking that was the air of the room.

There are all types of changes Tom thought as he looked with delight at Mary and his granddaughters. People change too in ways that can be surprising and unexpected or is it that with some people it's your perception of them that changes as you come to know them he wondered.


	10. Chapter 10

The afternoon spent with Ciara and Aine had been a delight for Mary. She found their enthusiasm and inquisitiveness quite charming while their frankness and openness were refreshing.

It had been years since Mary had looked at those photographs and she was surprised how many warm memories they evoked. Of course there was also sadness realizing how much time had passed and how many of those Mary had loved were no longer alive. But with the girls' comments and questions, Mary wasn't maudlin, indeed there had been much laughter.

As the afternoon progressed and Mary delved more and more into the photographs she realized how much her world had changed. So much of the Crawley lifestyle was alien to the girls not only because of the difference in wealth between the Crawleys and the Bransons but also because most of the manners and mores that had shaped the first half of Mary's life were no longer in vogue.

While the girls had been, in the words of Aine, gobsmacked at the thought of dressing in gowns and long gloves just for the evening meal with only the immediate family, it had seemed so natural for Mary. The countless changes of clothes during the day depending on one's activity, the lack of education for "genteel ladies", the idea of nannies and governesses, the general idleness of the aristocracy, the clear class distinctions were all unfamiliar to the girls.

"I can't imagine having a governess" declared Ciara. "I would much rather go to school where there were other kids my age."

Mary smiled. "Ah … that sounds just like your grandmother. While Edith and I were content Sybil always wanted to go to as she put it a real school."

 _It had been a wonderful hour riding over the estate. Mary thought she was at her happiest when she was on her favorite horse, free to roam wherever she wanted, that is wherever on the estate and luckily for her it was a very large estate._

 _She was heading back towards the stable when she saw a small figure dressed in what looked like rags sitting on a tree stump just off the bridle path. Whoever it was seemed engrossed in the view which looked over a small pond where a family of ducks swam. It wasn't until she was much closer that she realized it was Sybil. She couldn't imagine how the eight year old had walked here or for that matter why she was dressed in such an outfit._

" _Sybil darling whatever are you doing out here?" Sybil had been off in her own world for she started at the sound of Mary's voice but she didn't answer._

 _Getting off her horse, Mary held its reins while she walked over to her sister. Now standing beside the stump Mary realized that Sybil was crying._

 _She immediately knelt beside her, reaching out with her free hand to touch Sybil's back._

 _After a couple of deep sniffles, Sybil jumped off the log. She stood with her little arms bent so that her fists touched her hips. "It's just not fair Mary."_

" _Darling what isn't fair?"_

" _Mrs. Crumbe says I can't read my stories. She says they're not app … app … that little girls shouldn't read them."_

" _Are we talking about Treasure Island?"_

 _Sybil nodded her head vigorously._

" _But why are you dressed like that?"_

 _Sybil deeply sighed as if it should have been obvious. "I'm playing pirates."_

 _Mary quietly chuckled. "So was it the book or your outfit that caused Mrs. Crumbe to comment?"_

" _Oh Mary if only papa would let me go to a real school. I'd have other kids to play with, I wouldn't have to pretend … I …" Sybil could no longer hold back the tears._

 _Mary quickly hugged her little sister and continued to hold her as she cried, her own heart breaking at seeing Sybil so unhappy. She knew papa would never agree to letting Sybil go to school but he could replace the governess._

"I think that was the one regret Sybil had that she never attended school."

"Grandma was always saying how important an education is" Aine injected "especially for girls."

"Your grandmother was definitely ahead of her time."

The girls nodded their heads as Mary continued "She made sure all of her children went to university which was uncommon back then."

Long after Tom and the girls left for a walk to the village, Mary continued to peruse through the photograph albums, her thoughts still very much on that long ago time. One area that had fascinated the girls was "the season" although their interest seemed to be in what they considered the strangeness of it all and not any desire to participate in such pomp.

" _So you'll be attending balls and parties every night?"_

" _Not until I've been presented to the King."_

" _So the King has to give you his blessing before you can …"_

 _Tom didn't finish his thought before Sybil interrupted him. "Oh silly … it's not that … it's just that I'm not officially out in society until my presentation."_

 _Tom shook his head and rolled his eyes heavenward. What a silly system he thought. He couldn't imagine not being able to dance with a girl or ask her to go for a walk unless she had been presented to the King._

" _And how does this fit in with your women's rights?"_

 _His question seemed to fluster her._

" _Oh Branson" she sighed. "I think I can still be for women's rights and yet enjoy dancing and parties."_

" _Yet isn't the whole purpose for you … I mean for a young lady … to meet possible marriage prospects."_

 _Sybil stood up, her arms bent at the elbows, her hands balled into fists that rested on her hips, a stance that Tom had come to know as Sybil's fighting stance. "While it means that I can be as you say" Sybil paused to emphasize the word "COURTED it doesn't mean I have to get married. IF I marry Branson, it will be because I choose to do so not because society expects or demands it."_

 _Tom hadn't expected Sybil to react so strongly to what he said, intending it to sound as in jest. "I'm sorry mylady … I was just joking." But he knew in his heart he hasn't really joking for his worst fear was that she would find someone, that she would fall in love, during her season._

 _Sybil barely nodded and turned to leave the garage._

" _It will be lonely here without you." When he noted the way Sybil's face showed surprise at his statement he quickly added "I mean with the whole family in London for a month I won't have much to do here."_

" _Maybe you could go visit your brother or even take a short trip back to Ireland." It was on the tip of her tongue to say "or maybe you could spend your free time finding someone to court" but as she looked at the man who had become her friend she realized she was suddenly afraid that when he found such a girl she would lose the only person she could freely talk to._

Mary hadn't thought about _the season_ for years probably not since her own daughter had turned eighteen but there had been no season that year since England was engulfed in war. In fact, _the season_ had steadily declined after the first World War mostly because so many of the old families had lost their fortunes and/or their estates. When the Queen abolished the custom of girls being presented at court in 1958, _the season_ as Mary had known it totally vanished. Nowadays it was attendance at various events such as the Royal Ascot that constituted what could be loosely considered the season.

At the time of her own season it was a forgone conclusion that Mary would marry her cousin Patrick who would one day inherit Downton and become the Earl of Grantham. Not that Mary was thrilled with this prospect or even looking forward to it but it was her duty as the eldest daughter, it was what she had been groomed for ever since it became apparent that Robert would have no son of his own to inherit.

Always one to enjoy dancing and of course the expensive new wardrobe that was required of the _season_ , Mary had tried to enjoy her season but there was always the thought of Patrick and her destiny lingering in the background. Then the next year was Edith's season and Mary had done her best to outshine her sister.

By the time Sybil's season came, Patrick was no longer an issue since he had gone to a cold watery grave in the North Atlantic two years earlier. To her surprise, Mary had fallen for the new heir, Matthew, the middle class solicitor from Manchester. Although she was mulling over Matthew's proposal, Mary had tried to enjoy Sybil's season.

Mary smiled as she looked again at the photographs from Sybil's ball. Sybil had been quite the success much more so than Mary or especially Edith had been. She had received more invitations to balls and dinners than she could possibly attend. While Sybil had rarely sat out a dance, she didn't seem to focus her attention on any one man or even a select few. Holding the photograph that was just Sybil, looking so beautiful in her blue ball gown, her face glowing, Mary slightly shook her head as she uttered at the picture "You had us all so fooled." For so many years Mary had thought it was the war that had interfered with Sybil's marriage prospects never dreaming it was actually the chauffeur.

" _I've grown so use to coming here" Sybil started as she entered the garage. At the sound of her voice, Tom stopped whatever it was he was doing with the car parts laying on the work table and turned around to look at his fiancé, a broad smile lighting up his face. "But now with the war over and everyone gone, it's harder to get here unnoticed."_

" _Is that why I haven't seen you for the last two days?" Tom asked as she moved toward him. When she was within reach, he pulled her in close, his arms around her waist and his hands running up and down her back._

" _Has it only been two days Tom? I feel like it's been a week. Mama has me …" Sybil was interrupted by Tom's lips on hers. To his delight she returned his kiss just as passionately._

 _Suddenly Sybil broke off the kissing. Still wrapped in Tom's arms she tilted her head back. "We need to make plans."_

 _Tom didn't want to let go of her. He had dreamed for so long of holding her, touching her, kissing her and now that he could he didn't want to stop._

" _Mama has decided that now that the war is over it is time for Edith and me to find husbands."_

 _Tom dropped his arms from around Sybil's waist and took a step back._

" _She's talking about big dinner parties with dancing afterward. Talking about how maybe it would be better to go to London for a month or so."_

 _Sybil sat down on the work bench. "I can't stand the thought of it all Tom. I just want to be with you."_

" _I haven't heard back from any of the newspapers I've contacted. I don't know how long it's going to take to get a job. If I quit here before I get another job I'm not sure …_

 _Tom quickly sat beside Sybil and put his arm around her. "I have some money saved but I don't think it would last us very long."_

" _I could sell some of my jewelry" Sybil offered. Tom visibly winced at Sybil's suggestion which Sybil noticed._

" _Tom we are going to have a marriage of equals. That means I contribute also."_

 _But Tom was still uncomfortable with her suggestion. "I don't ever want anyone to think I'm married you for your money."_

" _It doesn't matter what others think Tom. I know the truth." Tom looked at Sybil and wondered again how this beautiful woman could actually be in love with him._

" _If we go to Ireland could we live with your mother? That is until you get a job?"_

" _I guess so. But I'm not really sure what she will think."_

" _You mean think of me?"_

" _I think once she comes to know you it will be fine. It's just that …"_

" _She doesn't expect her son to marry an English aristocrat."_

" _She'll come around Sybil. I know she will."_

" _Maybe you should write her and let her know. That would be better than us just showing up on her doorstep one day." Sybil took a deep breath. "And if she doesn't approve we have to make other plans."_

" _I think you're right. I'll write her tonight."_

 _Sybil nodded. "I think I'd like to write her a note too. I'll give it to you tomorrow to include with your letter."_

 _Sybil gave Tom a quick kiss which of course deepened into something more. "Tom, I have to go."_

 _Sybil was close to the garage doors when she turned around to face him. "It just all seems so complicated."_

" _It was never going to be easy Sybil" Tom replied._

 _Sybil turn again towards the door but hesitated. "Gretna Green" she muttered._

" _What?" Tom didn't quite hear what she had said._

" _You're right it's not going to be easy whatever we do Tom. So let's just do it."_

While she had talked to the girls about so much, one topic that Mary hadn't mentioned was the aborted elopement of their grandparents. When the girls saw various photographs they mentioned something that Tom had told them such as the engagement dress yet they never mentioned or asked about the pair running away to Gretna Green. It hadn't escaped her notice that when Tom joined them later in the afternoon, he never mentioned it either.

" _You're confident you can bring her round aren't you?"_

 _Mary couldn't get the chauffeur's words out of her mind. Even more so she couldn't get the defeated look on his face out of her mind. In a moment of weakness she would have admitted she felt sorry for the man._

 _That night she had been confident that she could bring Sybil to realize the foolishness of marrying the chauffeur. Sybil didn't utter a word on the drive back to Downton. She sat with her face staring out the passenger window, occasionally wiping away a tear that had silently fallen down her face._

 _Nor did she say anything when they reached Downton. As the three sisters silently crept up the servants staircase to their bedrooms, Mary wondered what to say. When they reached the door to Sybil's bedroom, Sybil quietly opened the door but before going in she looked back at Mary who was unable to decipher the emotions on her face but there was no disguising the unshed tears in her eyes._

" _Sybil I think it's …" Mary began but Sybil was in no mood to listen or to talk._

" _I don't want to talk about this now Mary. But know this I will not change my mind. I love Tom and I will marry him with or without the family's blessings." She then stepped into her room and closed the door before Mary could say anything._

 _As Mary slowly walked to her own bedroom she knew she had a hard task ahead of her. She loved Sybil with all her heart and one thing Mary knew so well was that Sybil was stubborn, that once she made up her mind about something there was no stopping her. It had been like that since Sybil was a toddler._

 _The thought of that dark curly haired toddler with the bright blue eyes and a smile that could light up a room brought a faint smile to Mary's lips. There had always been something about Sybil that Mary adored much to the surprise of her parents especially after the way Mary and Edith constantly fought. With Sybil Mary displayed an affection that she showed no one else._

 _What had happened Mary wondered to that closeness she and Sybil had. Mary couldn't remember the last time Sybil had come to her room, jumped onto the bed, and the two of them had talked and giggled far into the night. These last few years Sybil had been so wrapped up in her nursing or so Mary had thought but maybe it was because she had the chauffeur to talk to that she didn't need Mary anymore._

 _Sybil had promised her she wouldn't do anything foolish yet how foolish was it to run off with the chauffeur. "You're confident you can bring her around aren't you." His words haunted her. Yet somehow Mary couldn't bring herself to go to papa and tell him although that would certainly bring an end to it. Was it because she had no doubt of the look of love on both their faces?_

 _The next morning Mary was poised with her hand on Sybil's bedroom door when she decided maybe it would be best to give Sybil a bit more time._

" _Anna has anyone said anything about Sybil and Branson?" Mary inquired as Anna busied herself sorting through Mary's wardrobe looking for a day dress._

" _I'm sure no one knows about last night mylady."_

" _I'm not just talking about last night although that is good to know. I mean has there ever been any talk about them?"_

 _Anna was glad her back was turned to Lady Mary for she feared her face might betray her words. "No mylady."_

 _Actually that was true as far as Anna knew but she had suspected for some time that Mr. Branson and Lady Sybil were a bit too close. On several occasions she had seen Lady Sybil coming from or going to the garage at odd hours. She knew how intently he listened when anyone mentioned Lady Sybil and most importantly she had found the note that he had written to Lady Sybil when he had planned that foolishness with that visiting general._

" _Not even Thomas or O'Brien?" Mary just wouldn't let this topic go away and she thought those two were the most astute of the staff._

" _I think if O'brien had any inkling she would have gone to her ladyship. Nothing would please her more than seeing Mr. Branson get sacked."_

 _Mary raised her eyebrow at Anna's remarks. "Maybe it speaks well of Branson that O'brien dislikes him" she chuckled._

" _And what of Thomas?"_

" _Thomas is very fond of Lady Sybil. He isn't too fond of Mr. Branson though so if he had any inkling I'm not sure what he'd do but I assure you I've never heard him say anything."_

 _Mary nodded. "What do the others think of Branson?"_

" _I think he's well liked but he's a bit different from the rest of us." Anna wasn't quite sure what had made her say that. "I mean he reads much of the time he's in the servants hall and no one is really that interested in politics like he is. But he's always polite and kind and has called out O'brien or Thomas when they've picked on one of the other servants."_

Mary finally decided she had had enough thinking about the past for the day. She gathered up the photograph albums and put them back in the armoire leaving only the two small albums that Ciara and Aine would take with them. She stood to stretch her legs a bit and walked over to one of the large windows that looked out over the garden. It was only early June but so much was already blooming. Looking at her watch she was surprised to find that it was almost time for dinner.

 _The month she had been in London seemed like an eternity to Tom for it was then that Tom came to realize how much he enjoyed her company. He tried to tell himself it was that they shared interests in politics and books and he missed having someone to discuss those topics with but he knew in his heart in was more than that._

 _With her gone, he realized how much he looked forward to just seeing her even if it was only while she sat in the back seat of the motor car with one of her sisters or her mother and any thought of chatter beyond "good morning" was forbidden._

 _Some word of the Crawleys' London stay filtered back to Downton. Tom sat quietly at the servants table, hiding his face in the newspaper so as not to betray his feelings, as he heard the chatter of what a success Lady Sybil was. Of course she would be a success he thought, how could she not be?_

 _As the gossip ventured into whether or not Lady Sybil would get engaged, Tom found he couldn't sit there and listen any longer._

 _When Tom was summoned by Carson and told to be at the railway station at two to meet the London train, his mind quickly had a million thoughts foremost of which was would things be the same between them._

 _He was diligently waiting by the motor car when he saw Lord and Lady Grantham with Lady Edith close behind walking towards him. His heart sank when he didn't see her. He was loading the luggage when he finally heard that husky voice "I found it Mama. It was on the floor of the compartment."_

 _He knew he was being foolish to stay in the garage so late that night for he doubt that she would pay him a visit but just in case … but she didn't come that night nor did he see her the next two days._

 _The thought that she had changed, that she no longer wanted or needed to talk to him crushed him for there was no denying that without her his loneliness was overwhelming._

 _She took him by surprise when she finally appeared late one afternoon as he was just returning to the garage after bringing his lordship back from Thirsk._

" _I saw you drop papa off in front of the house so I think we have some time." She stood there looking so beautiful even though she was wearing the plainest of her outfits, a dark blue skirt and a purple and white checked blouse._

" _I was beginning to wonder if the excitement of the season had been too much for you."_

 _She rolled her eyes. "It was fun … at least the first week. It was so nice seeing so many old friends."_

 _He waited for her to continue. She was looking around the garage as if seeing it for the first time. Finally taking a seat on her bench, at least that was what Tom thought of the rickety bench, she simply shook her head._

" _Oh Branson I was just so bored. I mean I loved the dancing but … but no one wanted to talk about anything I was interested in. Even my friends only seemed interested in what everyone was wearing and who they danced with and what parties they had been invited to."_

" _And the men were even worse. I asked a few about what they thought about women's rights and especially the vote and they looked at me as if I suddenly had two heads."_

 _Her voiced raised in disgust "a couple even told me such matters shouldn't concern me."_

 _She looked at Tom with such earnest in her face. "How could they think it shouldn't concern ME?"_

 _She began pacing up and down the garage floor clearly agitated. "They see my life as the good little wife arranging dinner parties and producing their heir." She paused and looked directly at Tom "I think I have more to offer than that."_

" _So I take it this means I won't be reading about your engagement in the newspaper" he quipped._

 _She glared at him and he suddenly felt afraid that he had insulted her when he just meant to lighten her mood. The silence became deafening to him._

 _He then remembered the pamphlets he had picked up in Thirsk. Reaching into the motor car, he pulled out the pamphlets and held them out to her._

 _He wasn't sure she was going to touch them, she just stood there staring at him before finally looking down at the pamphlets. Her eyes widen as she saw the headline on the top on._

 _A smile quickly erupted on her face. "Oh Branson finally someone that understands!"_


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I had this chapter sketched out but when I started writing it I became a bit side-tracked – and maybe even carried away with the gardens. I hope you'll enjoy it anyway. And it means that the next chapter is pretty much written.**

Mary had an engagement in York that she offered to cancel but Tom assured her it was no problem. He still had a few places that he wanted to show his granddaughters, foremost the Estate Agent's house, so they had plenty to do.

Since it would only be Tom and the girls and Artie for lunch, Artie suggested they meet in the village at the Grantham Arms. The girls immediately voiced their opinion that it would be nice and appealed to their grandfather to agree to Artie's suggestion. Tom laughed at the girls eagerness to eat somewhere other than Downton's dining room. Even though times had changed and there were no longer several footmen serving dinner nor were the diners required to wear formal dress, there was still a formality at Downton, much more so than any of the Bransons were used to.

They decided they would spend the morning exploring some of the estate by foot. The girls were intrigued by the pillared structure they had seen from the front of the house but first they'd visit some of the gardens. Artie had talked extensively about the gardens of Downton and had promised to show them around since Downton of course did not have a single garden but rather numerous gardens each with their own purpose.

The extensive gardens had become a good source of income for Downton both as a tourist attraction and as a source of food and flowers. There had always been a kitchen garden from which came most of the vegetables and herbs used to feed the family and the staff even in Tom's days there as the chauffeur. This garden had been expanded and was now not only the main source of vegetables and herbs for the family's use but also the restaurant at the hotel.

"I can still remember so many of Mrs. Patmore's dishes" Tom exclaimed as he rubbed his belly. "I'm not sure any servants had better meals than we did."

He continued "I thought we were well fed until I started eating upstairs in the dining room."

"The servants didn't eat the same food as the family?" Aine asked.

Tom shook his head. "The servants tended to have stews or a roast of some kind with vegetables. But upstairs … ah upstairs … the family had seven or ten courses none of which were ever stew."

"Every night was so many courses?"

"Yes" Tom answered. "And each course had a different wine. Dinner would last a couple of hours. And then after dinner the men would stay and have port and cigars while the women retired to the drawing room for coffee where the men would eventually join them."

"Wow" both girls said in chorus.

"As you can see now it's not so much" Artie added. "We only have the salad or soup, the main course, and then dessert." He chuckled "and there's no port and cigars for the men either. I might have liked that part."

Everyone joined in laughing at those remarks.

"Isn't Mrs. Patmore the one who taught Grandma how to cook?" Ciara asked.

Tom chuckled. "Aye she did. When I met your Grandma she didn't even know how to make her own tea."

"She couldn't make tea?" there was no mistaking the sound of disbelief in Aine's voice.

Again Tom chuckled. "I know that sounds unbelievable but you have to remember those times. Women of your Grandma's class didn't learn to cook or clean they had servants to do all that."

"I give her a lot of credit for wanting to learn some basics before she went to nursing school" he continued. "But somehow your Grandma never did master many dishes despite Mrs. Patmore's and my mother's instructions."

"Now Grandpa" Ciara chided him. "Her beef stew was wonderful and that fish dish you like and her"

Tom grimaced. "I know there were a few dishes she did very well but"

But Ciara wouldn't be silenced. "and her cakes were …"

"Ah her cakes" Tom interrupted. "Her cakes were heaven! Yes she was a wonderful baker."

"Well whatever Aunt Sybil did was more than my Grandmama can do. I don't think she's ever cooked anything" Artie chimed in.

Tom laughed. "I'd have paid to see Mary in the kitchen cooking!"

 _It had been a long and tiring day and Tom looked forward to getting home and having supper with Sybil. He had been so busy he had only had an apple for lunch so he knew he would hungrily devour whatever she had fixed or so he hoped. Dinner the past two weeks had been an ordeal. One night she had burnt the lamb making it so tough they could barely chew it but they could hardly afford to throw it out uneaten. Another night the stew or was it a soup, he wasn't sure, had half raw vegetables and half that were like mush. He wasn't even sure what had been for dinner last night and he didn't dare ask her._

 _Regardless of how it tasted, they had to eat it because they didn't have the money to fix something else or go out to eat. Last week he had suggested they go to dinner at his mother's house and Sybil had thrown a pan at him which luckily missed him but left quite a mess, again of something he wasn't sure what it was supposed to be, on the kitchen floor. He had been left to clean up the mess when Sybil fled to their bedroom in tears._

 _Later when he brought her some tea and buttered toast she continued to sniffle as she bemoaned her cooking ability._

" _It will just take some time" he gamely offered. "My mother will help you."_

 _Which was the wrong thing to say as Sybil starting crying again._

" _Your mother thinks I'm an idiot."_

" _Sybil" Tom wasn't really sure how to respond. It wasn't that she thought Sybil was an idiot but rather that Sybil had underestimated how hard her new life would be._

" _Oh come on Tom. Your twelve year old sister can cook better than me."_

" _Well Aileen has had more practice than you. It will just take time. You can't expect to be cooking like Mrs. Patmore in a month."_

 _He neatly folded his suit jacket over the back of one of the lounge chairs and then removed his tie and laid it on top of the jacket. It felt good to be free of the tie and he unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. Feeling more comfortable, he deeply inhaled and decided he had better get into the kitchen._

 _Sybil was so engrossed in whatever she was cooking that she didn't realize he was home. Her back was turned to him as she stirred something on the stove._

 _He quietly walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her and nestled his chin against her neck._

" _I think my husband will be home soon so it's best you leave now" she remarked without looking at him and continuing to stir._

" _Is he the jealous type?"_

" _Well I don't think you'd want to find out."_

 _Tom kissed her neck and ran his hands gently up and down her hips._

" _Tom!" she called out. "Stop that or dinner will be ruined." It was on the tip of his tongue to say maybe that wouldn't be so bad but he wisely decided to keep that thought to himself._

 _He stepped back. "It just feels so nice to be able to do that. To hold you or kiss you whenever"_

 _She turned to face him. "I know what you mean." She quickly kissed his lips. "Could you set the table while I finish this?"_

 _Satisfied with whatever she had been stirring, she poured it into a bowl which she set on the counter top. She then took an earthenware dish out of the oven and placed it on a pad on the table top._

 _Tom once again had a moment of distress as he wondered what was the mystery dish but then he noted that the top was a flaky looking crust that actually looked quite good. To his surprise it turned out to be chicken pot pie and it was delicious._

 _Tom finally set his spoon down and wiped his mouth. "Since you had two bowlfuls I take it you liked the chicken pot pie" Sybil commented._

" _It was delicious Sybil." Sybil beamed at Tom's words. "Dare I ask how you did it?"_

" _I just put my mind to it" she replied. She wouldn't tell him that she had written to Daisy and asked for some easy step by step instructions that didn't leave out anything no matter how minute for several dishes. "Did you leave any room for baked apples with warm cranberry sauce?"_

 _Again she wouldn't tell him that in her response, Daisy and Mrs. Patmore had also sent a box full of jellies, jams, and compotes, as well as some jars of honey, marinated fruit and pickled vegetables._

They had been walking through the kitchen garden and now Artie took them into one of three greenhouses. "This one is just for edible plants and herbs. We're able to have some fresh stuff year round. And we make jams and jellies and compotes from some of this as well as the various fruit trees we have growing around the estate and in one of the other greenhouses. Papa has turned that into quite a profitable business."

Artie next took the group to one of the floral gardens which was still a riot of color with late spring as well as early summer flowering plants and bushes. There was a brick walkway that led through the garden and several benches were scattered along its path.

"It's just so beautiful" Aine stated.

"I like all the colorful plants" Ciara chimed in. "Actually Grand Da it reminds me a bit of your back garden. Did you get your inspiration from this?"

"I might have" Tom responded.

 _It had been rainy for five days now and the gloom was getting to Tom. He was anxious for spring to fully arrive with its longer sunnier days, the trees in full greenery, spots of color, whether it be the wild flowers in the fields or the carefully planted shrubs and bushes, everywhere one looked, and the air filled with the sweet aroma of lilacs, cherry blossoms, and magnolias._

 _Of course it wasn't just the rain itself that was causing Tom's gloom. When the weather was bad the family rarely ventured outside so that meant that he wasn't very busy. Other than driving Mrs. Crawley and old lady Grantham to and from dinner at the abbey he hadn't driven anyone else all week. And that of course meant he hadn't seen her._

 _Sybil. Lady Sybil he should say but in his thoughts and dreams she was just Sybil. He knew he was treading on dangerous territory but he couldn't help himself._

 _He was sitting in the garage with the doors wide open. Although it was raining it was blowing from the back of the garage so no rain was coming in the open doors. He wasn't sure why he was sitting here with the doors open. Maybe he was just hoping that one of the stable hands or groundsmen, or someone, anyone would walk by and converse with him._

 _He could have gone to the servants hall but they would all be busy for rain didn't affect their jobs. Plus he just wasn't in any mood to listen to O'Brien or Thomas grumble._

 _Since he didn't think Mr. Carson or any of the family, actually other than Sybil none of the family ever came to the garage, he undid his tie, removed his jacket, and unbuttoned his waist coat. With a cup of tea sitting on the table, he sat on his work bench reading the newspaper, so engrossed in an article that he wasn't even aware of footsteps finally entering the garage. He sensed rather than heard a presence of someone standing in front of him, his newspaper blocking the sight of them._

 _Finally lowering the paper, he was rewarded with the sight of the lady of his dreams standing there. He closed his eyes and shook his head thinking he was probably dreaming but when he opened his eyes she was still there._

 _He quickly stood up, dropping the newspaper on the floor. "Milady what are you doing here?"_

 _Sybil giggled at the sight of the relaxed Branson now fumbling to button his waist coat. "Please Branson, stay comfortable. I was just out walking and thought I'd drop by to say hello."_

 _He knitted his brows in confusion. "You were just out walking around. In this weather?"_

 _She smiled that smile that made his heart flutter. "It's not cold just a bit of rain. It's not like it's pouring and with my boots, coat and umbrella I'm perfectly fine."_

" _But why would you be out walking?"_

" _I've always loved the rain. I love to sit by the window and watch it come down. Even as a child I loved rainy days. Papa or Mary would let me sit in their laps and read to me." Tom noticed that faraway dreamy look on her face._

" _And then of course there's what comes after."_

" _What comes after" he asked now totally confused._

" _Flowers silly" she replied as she lightly tilted her head. "Just watch tomorrow or the next day we'll see buds opening on the trees or some of the spring flowers blooming."_

 _He thought she was suddenly leaving when she turned and walked to the open garage doors. She surprised him when she leaned down and picked up something from the ground._

 _Turning around he saw that she was holding a large pot with green sticks in it._

" _I brought this for you" she said as she walked over to him and held out the pot._

 _He could now see that it wasn't green sticks but some of kind of stalks with buds on them._

" _I bet some of these will be blooming tomorrow Branson."_

" _I imagine they will but why are you giving me this and where did you get it?"_

" _I walked by one of the greenhouses and the gardeners were sitting these out getting ready to plant them."_

" _But why are you giving it to me?"_

 _She giggled. "I thought you could use something to cheer you up. Cousin Isobel said you seemed a bit gloomy last night when you picked her up to bring her to dinner."_

 _Now he was even more curious. "Mrs. Crawley talked about me to you?"_

" _Not really. While she was waiting for you last night after dinner the two of us were talking about the weather and how everyone seems to be ready for some sunshine after all the rain we've had and that even you who, in her words always seems sunny, seemed a bit down."_

" _I thought they'd brighten up your cottage." He raised his eyebrow at that and she blushed. "I mean not that I think or know if it needs brightening up" she quickly added "but … but flowers bring … bring a bit of … I mean a ray of sunshine into a room."_

 _Tom was rather amused at her sudden discomfort discussing his living quarters._

" _I'm sure they'll look lovely" he said "and will certainly brighten up the room."_

 _Then just because he couldn't help it, he added rather cheekily "I've never gotten flowers from a woman before."_

 _Sybil's face turned a shade of red he would never have thought possible. Fearing that maybe he had gone too far he said "It's a very kind gesture of you."_

" _Think nothing of it Branson" she replied breezily as she turned to leave. Stopping at the doors she turned back to him. "I've never received flowers from a man." She sighed and got that dreamy look on her face again. "And when I do, I want something colorful with several types of flowers but men seem to only think of red roses or white lilies."_

"Grand Ma always liked colorful bouquets" Ciara told Aine as they followed Artie down the garden walkway. "She said the variety of colors in nature was just too great to only have one type of flower.

Artie had led them about a third of the way down the walkway when the girls bent over to inhale the scent of some blooming roses that formed a small bed beside the walkway. When one of them turned to ask Artie what type of roses they were, they found that Artie was no longer standing beside them. In fact, they couldn't even see him.

 _Since she was five years old Sybil had been exploring the grounds of Downton. It was a way for her to escape her nanny or governess as well as her bickering sisters and what she would later realize was the boredom of her life. It also meant that little Lady Sybil, unlike her sisters, was a well known figure to some of the groundskeepers and gardeners who would come across her in her forays into the grounds and gardens that surrounded the big house._

 _It had been a bad morning for six year old Lady Sybil. In her exuberance chasing her Papa's dog around the house she had broken two vases. Luckily for her neither vase was a priceless antique, not that she understood what that meant, but none the less her Mama was quite angry and she unleashed her anger on not only Sybil but also the hapless nanny who, in Cora's words, was not providing proper supervision of her charge._

 _Later that day Sybil hatched the idea of bringing both her Mama and the nanny a nice bouquet of flowers in the hope that some beautiful flowers would put them in a better mood. After all she reasoned, as much as a six year old could, I always feel better just looking at beautiful flowers and if they smell good too well that was just grand._

 _Sybil spied her favorite gardener, Mr. Crouch, and decided to ask him to cut her some flowers. She had learned her lesson that some of the flowers she thought were most beautiful or fragrant had thorns that would hurt her fingers if she tried to pick them._

 _She had to run to catch up with Mr. Crouch who, pushing a wheelbarrow, had turned onto the brick walkway that meandered through the cutting garden. Sybil wasn't quite sure why this was called the cutting garden nor how it was different from the other floral gardens but she knew Mr. Crouch would let her pick out some flowers for her bouquets._

 _To her great surprise, when she reached the walkway Mr. Crouch had disappeared. His wheelbarrow was sitting on the walkway but he was no where in sight. How could this be she wondered? As she stood there wondering if she should run for help, Mr. Crouch suddenly walked out through the hedge, grabbed a pair of cutting shears from the wheelbarrow and then proceeded to disappear again through the hedge. Now how could this be? She could see that the hedge wasn't that wide and it bordered a very tall brick wall. The six year old was totally perplexed._

 _Sybil ran towards the wheelbarrow and then turned to where she had seen Mr. Crouch disappear. She approached the hedge and saw there was an opening which she gingerly crept through and to her surprise discovered an open gate built into the wall. She boldly walked through the gate and into the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. Running through the middle of the garden was a swath of grass and on either side of this was a variety of blooming plants and bushes._

"Where did he go to?" Aine asked as she looked around the garden.

She and Ciara kept looking around for their cousin when they heard him call out "I'm in here!"

Even though they kept looking around them they couldn't see him. "Just to your left" they heard his voice say.

But on their left was a tall hedge that lined the garden's solitary brick wall that rose about eight feet high. Suddenly Artie stepped out from between the hedge. "Come here" he beckoned.

As the girls and Tom walked towards him he suddenly disappeared again but they could hear him laughing as if he was standing only three or four feet away.

It was Aine that realized one of the bushes that formed the hedge was planted out just a bit from the ones on either side of it leaving a small opening for someone to walk through.

They walked through not only the hedge but an open wrought iron gate in the brick wall that was concealed by the bush in front of it to find Artie standing there.

As he flung out his arms he cheerily exclaimed "Welcome to Downton's secret garden."

 _Uncle James and cousin Patrick's visit had greatly upset Mary. Ten year old Sybil hadn't been privileged to most of their visit since she wasn't yet old enough to eat dinner in the dining room with her family nor had she been allowed in the library when her parents, Mary, Uncle James and cousin Patrick had met in there. It was a most unusual meeting for usually it was just Papa and Uncle James that would meet in the library._

 _Sybil noticed Mary had run from the library, tears flowing down her face, quickly followed by Mama. Despite Mama's pleadings Mary wouldn't return to the library._

 _Although James and Patrick had left three days ago, Mary was still upset. Sybil was quite use to hearing Mary's sharp tongue against Edith whether or not Edith had done something to deserve it but it was quite unusual for Mary to do so to Sybil._

 _She had finally concluded that Mary's behavior was caused by some serious disease and decided to boldly ask her Mama. At this time of day Mama was always in her sitting room doing embroidery work and that was where Sybil found her._

 _Cora, surprised to see Sybil appear in her sitting room since she should have been poring over her lessons with her governess , immediately dropped her sewing on her lap and asked "Is something wrong Sybil?"_

 _Sybil sat down on the sofa beside her mother. "Is Mary ill?"_

" _Why would you ask that? Has something happened?"_

" _She snapped at me this morning for no reason and wouldn't let me come into her bedroom. She … she just seems so unhappy. I thought maybe she's ill."_

 _Cora sighed deeply and then reached out to pull Sybil closer to her. She kept her arm around Sybil's shoulder and with her other hand she took hold of Sybil's hands. "Oh my baby" she murmured. "Mary's not ill she's just … she …" Cora paused. How could she explain to her youngest daughter the cause of Mary's pain? How could she explain that Mary's future had been decided?_

" _Sometimes life demands one take a certain path whether or not one wants to." Cora ran her hand gently up and down the side of Sybil's face. "She'll be alright soon."_

" _So she's not ill, she's not dying." Sybil responded._

" _She's lucky she has a sister that is so caring."_

 _The next morning Sybil sat at the top of the stairs waiting for Mary to finish breakfast and leave the dining room. She was just beginning to wonder if maybe Mary had never come down to breakfast when Mary finally appeared._

" _Mary … Mary" Sybil cried out as she raced down the stairs. She grabbed Mary's arm and pulled her towards the servants stairway._

" _I have a surprise for you."_

" _Sybil I'm not in any mood to play games."_

" _Please Mary come with me. It's good I promise you."_

 _By now Mary knew that if there was one person more stubborn than herself it was Sybil and she knew Sybil would pester her until she got what she wanted._

 _They exited the stairs into the hustle and bustle of the servants area. While most of the servants were used to seeing Lady Sybil in their midst, if only while she ran through, seeing Lady Mary was rather unusual. But Sybil didn't stop to talk and just pulled on Mary's arm to follow her._

 _Ten minutes later as they approached the cutting garden, Mary had had it with her younger sister. "Sybil" she exclaimed. "I told you I didn't want to play games."_

" _We're almost there Mary I promise" Sybil replied unpeturbed._

 _Reaching the spot where the hidden gate was concealed, Sybil had Mary turn so her back was to the hedge. She then quietly walked through the hidden opening, opened the gate and stepped into the secret garden._

" _Okay Mary. Turn around" Sybil called out._

 _Mary turned around expecting to see Sybil standing there and the surprise on her face at not seeing her was genuine. "Sybil?" she called as she looked up and down the garden._

" _I'm here Mary" Sybil called back._

" _Sybil!" Now Mary sounded irritated._

" _Come through the hedge."_

" _Do what?"_

" _Follow the petals I dropped and come through the hedge."_

 _Sybil stood facing the gate wanting to see the look on Mary's face when she entered the secret garden and Mary didn't disappoint her._

" _What … what … how …" Mary stammered. "How did you find this?"_

 _Sybil just rolled her eyes. "That's not important." She pointed around the garden. "Isn't this just the most beautiful place?" It was July and the garden was at its most colorful._

" _Who knows about this?"_

" _Not many. Certainly not Edith or Mama."_

" _So it this where you come to hide?"_

 _Sybil shrugged. "Sometimes."_

 _She pointed to a bench that now sat just to the left of the gate. She wouldn't tell Mary that she had asked Mr. Crouch to put it there so Mary would have a place to sit knowing that Mary wouldn't think of sitting on the grass._

" _You can sit there and feel the sunshine on your face. Or read a book … or dream."_

 _For the first time in days Mary actually smiled._

" _But there's just one thing Mary. You can't tell or show anyone else about this place."_

 _Mary hugged her little sister. "I promise."_

"A secret garden" both Aine and Ciara cried out at once.

Artie nodded and then pointed around the garden. "As you can see there is a high wall that goes all the way around and the only way in" he pointed to the wrought iron gate "is through that gate which is hidden in the wall."

"How did you find it?" Ciara asked.

"Well it's not really much of a secret anymore. All the groundskeepers know about it."

"I think this is the most beautiful garden I've ever seen" Ciara stated as her eyes took in the colorful blooming plants.

"Oh you should see it next month when it will be at its summer peak" Artie replied. "That's when it's most beautiful."

"But why have a such a beautiful garden so hidden?" Aine asked.

Tom chuckled. "I think I can answer that one. It was a place where two people could secretly meet away from any prying eyes."

"Did you and Grandma meet in here?"

Tom blushed just thinking about the times they had met in here. Of course by then they were married and although he was not ashamed he thought there were some stories that just weren't to be shared especially not with one's granddaughters.

 **A/N: I have never had the pleasure of visiting Highclere Castle but I have looked at the website and devoured the information on the grounds. There really is a secret garden, from which I got some of my inspiration, but my description of it isn't really accurate.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you to tammyterese and guests for reviewing. I am pleasantly surprised by the number of hits the last chapter got.**

With assurances they'd meet him at the Grantham Arms , Tom and the girls left Artie to do some work while they continued on their walk of the estate. As they walked to that structure that they had seen from the front of the Abbey, Tom talked about how large the estate had been.

In his day as the Downton chauffeur and for some time after that, probably well into the 1930s, the estate was so vast that unless one walked to the village, and even most of that was owned by his Lordship, one could walk all day and probably not make it off the estate. Due to taxes and the high costs of maintenance as well as higher labor costs, the estate had now dwindled down to 1,000 acres which for most anyone was still vast.

As evidence of the size of the estate, it took them over a half hour to walk from the secret garden to the folly, the actual name for the structure seen from the house. As Tom related to his granddaughters a folly was a decorative or ornamental building that served no real purpose, in other words a fancy, expensive garden ornament. Follies had been the rage in the 18th and early 19th centuries and many, if not all, of the landed estates at that time built at least one. In fact, Downton had four that Tom knew of.

Long ago he had done some research on follies and found that the name came from a French word that meant foolish or foolishness he wasn't quite sure of the exact translation but whichever it seemed to Tom an accurate description.

"It looks like an ancient Roman or Greek temple" Ciara commented as they neared the structure.

"Aye" Tom answered. "Many follies were constructed with Roman and Greek ruins in mind."

As they walked around the outside of the folly they were surprised how large it was. The folly appeared fairly large from the front doors of the Abbey but close up its size was rather amazing especially for something that was just a "lawn ornament."

"What I could never understand is that while this looks like a Roman temple the name of it is actually Jackdaw's Castle" Tom stated causing the girls to giggle.

"Who was Jackdaw?" Aine asked.

"I have no idea."

Tom sat down on the front steps of the folly joined by Aine on his right and Ciara on his left.

"It's an amazing view" Ciara exclaimed as they looked out across the wide expanse of lawn to the Abbey with fields and woods behind it. "You really get a sense of how huge the house is. It's hard to believe that it is Grand Ma's childhood home."

"What's so amazing is that something that large was so confining to your Grand Ma" Tom replied as he sat gazing at the house.

" _Branson why did you come to England?"_

 _Tom looked in the rear view mirror to see Lady Sybil who was looking at him with such an earnest expression. He had gotten used to her talking to him and in fact looked forward to when it was just her in the motor car so they could have conversations which usually centered on politics and women's rights or books but never anything so personal before._

" _I mean it's obvious you love Ireland and your politics are certainly not in favor of English aristocrats."_

 _Tom glanced out his side window as he thought about what to say. Glancing once again in the rear view mirror he saw that she was waiting for his answer._

" _I love motor cars. Been captivated by them since I was probably ten or so. I was about twelve when I started working after school at a garage. I loved learning about how all the parts worked and fitted together to make a car run and it was only natural that I wanted to learn to drive."_

 _He turned around and quickly smiled at her before once again focusing his eyes on the road ahead of them._

" _There's very little work for the likes of me in Ireland. I found that the pay is so much more here in England and that most of the English here don't hate the Irish as the ones in Dublin do." While that was generally true Tom wouldn't mention the slights he had encountered when his accent made known his origin of birth._

" _To drive the type of cars your father owns is a dream for me. Just think of all that power … to be able to go further in an hour than you could walk in a day."_

 _She looked out the passenger window and sighed. "Sometimes I think it would be so wonderful to just get in the motor car and drive, to just keep going and going till you see something you want to stop and explore. And then when you're tired of that to move on till you see the next place you want to stop."_

" _That does sound lovely" Tom agreed._

" _Freedom." She said the word so quietly that Tom barely heard her. "That's what it is. Freedom to choose what you want to do with your life."_

 _He wasn't sure how to respond to that. He would swear that when he glanced at her in the rear view mirror her eyes were clouded with tears and his curiosity was raised. She must have sensed he was looking at her because she glanced at the rear view mirror and that mask, that look that hid her feelings, quickly came over her face._

 _They had arrived at their destination or rather the place she had ordered him to drive to where she said she had a charity meeting. She looked again in the rear view mirror and adjusted her hat signaling to him that their conversation was finished._

 _As he took her hand to help her exit the motor car, she looked up at his face, a simple act that separated her from the rest of her family._

" _You didn't really answer my question" she spoke. "That is … why you came to England."_

 _He stood there staring at her unsure how to respond._

 _She smiled at him. "We'll discuss that another time Branson." And with that she walked off to her meeting._

"When your Grandma and I were living in the Abbey we would often come here to sit and talk. Sometimes we'd bring a picnic which of course her father thought was scandalous but then he realized it was better than on the front lawn where we were easily in view of everyone."

Tom smiled as he recalled those lovely afternoons. "We'd usually bring Aoife but once she started crawling it was a little too dangerous for her."

"Lucky for us there were plenty of other places to go." Tom raised his hand and pointed "as far as you can see, in any direction, the land belongs to the estate."

Both Aine and Ciara looked at the sweeping views. "And there are more of these follies" Tom said "scattered here and there."

 _Tom used his half days off to explore the grounds of Downton. Not that he was that interested in the grounds, he actually found it rather appalling that one man could own so much land, but he enjoyed walking and Downton certainly had miles of grounds, plus it got him away from the garage. Having been raised in a city, Tom found it strange to now be surrounded by so much open land._

 _He carried a basket that contained the food he had charmed Mrs. Patmore into giving him which today consisted of a large ham sandwich, two chunks of cheese, a strawberry tart (left over from the Crawleys' dinner he suspected since there hadn't been any tarts on the servants table last night) and an apple and a peach that he knicked from a basket on the table in the servants hall. He also had a bottle of cider that he had bought in the village and a flask of tea for he had found that he got quite thirsty on his walks and he didn't like spending too much money on bottles of cider. Of course he always packed a book since his goal was to find a nice spot to sit and enjoy his lunch and read._

 _It was a gorgeous summer day and Tom found himself walking in an area he hadn't been in before and soon the woods opened up into a field. He was thinking about finding a spot to have his lunch when he spied a building that looked like an ancient temple on the far edge of the field. Of course he had noticed those ruins that sat in the field across from the house but this building looked quite different in that it had walls on three sides._

 _His curiosity peaked by finding such a building in this field, he quickly made his way over to it. The building looked like an ancient temple that Tom had seen in books but up close he found that it was fairly small. That is in width and length although it was probably two stories high. It was enclosed on three sides with the fourth side, the one that faced the field, open with two pillars on each side and then two additional pillars spaced apart from those and each other. The inside was maybe six or eight feet deep with a stone bench that ran the length of the sides and the back wall._

 _As he stood there admiring the building and wondering what it was doing here for surely it was too small to have been an actual Roman temple and in too good of condition to be an ancient structure, he suddenly heard that husky voice that so reminded him of a fine whiskey._

" _It is odd but beautiful isn't it?" she stated. "I mean odd that it's standing here."_

" _Aye" Tom replied startled to see Lady Sybil here._

" _It's called a folly" she stated as she moved to stand beside him. "There are several of them around the estate. Surely you must have seen the one that stands across the lawn from the house."_

" _But what is it for?"_

 _She chuckled. "That's just it … it has no purpose … it's just a decorative building."_

 _Tom shook his head. It's just like the bloody British to waste money building decorative structures like this. He then realized that she was standing so close to him he could smell her lavender scent. Since he had given her those pamphlets they often conversed in the motor car but never in a situation like this. He knew he should take his leave but he didn't want to walk away from her._

" _So what brings you out here Branson?" she asked._

" _It's my half day off. I like to take a walk and find a nice place for lunch and to read." He lifted the basket he held in his right hand._

" _Oh!" she turned to look at him. "I guess I should leave you then."_

 _He panicked as he didn't want her to leave. It would be nice to converse with her somewhere away from the motor car. Out of his uniform and dressed in his suit maybe, if even for just a moment, she wouldn't remember she was talking to the chauffeur._

" _I …" before she could comment further they were suddenly hit with large fat rain drops. "Oh!"_

" _Maybe we better take shelter in the … folly" Tom stated hopefully._

" _I think you're right Branson" she said as she dashed into the folly. They had just stepped into the folly when the sky opened up. Luckily, the folly was deep enough that they would remain dry from the sudden summer squall._

" _I have plenty … food that is" he began "you're welcome to have some." He couldn't believe how forward he was but then again if he didn't try …_

 _He didn't wait for her response. He took a small cloth out of the basket and set it on the stone bench and then starting setting the food on top of the cloth._

 _Eyeing all the food Sybil chuckled "Were you expecting to meet someone or do you usually eat that much?"_

 _Tom blushed before boldly proclaiming "I like to be prepared. I mean what if I lost my way and it took me days to get back" causing Sybil to laugh._

" _Guess it's good then that I came along … to help you find your way back that is." Tom smiled as he noted the slight blush that reddened her face at her words. "We couldn't have you wondering around lost for days out here."_

 _Without asking her he took out the small pocket knife he always carried and cut the large ham sandwich in half and held out one half to her. She smiled at him as she accepted the sandwich and then sat on the bench on the other side of the cloth._

 _Neither spoke as they took bites of their sandwiches. Tom also cut the two chunks of cheese into some bite sized pieces._

" _Do you have a cup in that basket too so we can catch rainwater to drink?"_

 _Tom grinned. "I have better than that" and he pulled out the bottle of cider and the flask of tea._

 _Sybil laughed again. "You really do come with a feast!"_

" _So which would you prefer?"_

 _Knowing that he had probably used his own money to buy the bottle of cider she took the flask of tea._

 _He was curious as to why she was out here. "So what brings you out here?"_

" _I'm just coming back from the Trent farm. I try to go there once a week to visit with old Mrs. Trent."_

 _Sybil took a drink from the flask and then another bite of her sandwich before continuing. "When I was little I would often go with Papa when he visited some of the tenants. I always loved when we visited the Trents because Mrs. Trent would ask me in to have some biscuits while Papa talked with Mr. Trent."_

" _Her nephew took over the farm after Mr. Trent died but I think she's lonely without him." Sybil patted the small cloth bag she had set beside her which Tom hadn't noticed. "We play cards or sometimes I read to her."_

" _Do you play cards Branson?"_

" _Not really. I mean I've played a little bit but my mam thought if we had time for playing cards we could better use that time doing some chore around the house."_

 _Sybil looked out at the rain which didn't seem to be letting up. "Well I think we're stuck here. How about a game of Rummy while we eat this feast?_

 _Tom wasn't surprised by Sybil's enthusiasm but he was surprised how competitive she was. They were so engrossed in their game and conversation that it wasn't until Sybil had won her second game that they realized it had stopped raining._

Tom nodded his head slightly. ""You can't even see the most beautiful part of the grounds from here, the lakes and the creeks and fields that bloom with wildflowers."

"Coming from a crowded city it was like another world to me. I loved to walk in the orchards when the cherry or apple trees were in blossom giving the air a sweet scent, or the spots where the lilacs bloomed in the late spring or even better when the rhododendrons were in bloom. Then of course there are the lakes…"

 _Since Aoife's birth they hadn't spent any time alone except in the confines of their bedroom and Tom thought they needed to get away for an afternoon, to do something fun away from the Abbey. In his walks around the estate he had discovered once again the lakes and thought one of these would be an ideal setting for an afternoon away. Yes a bit of rowing around the lake, maybe pausing mid-lake to sip some cider, a picnic on the shore, maybe a nap in the sun or better yet a bit of … yes that was just the thing Tom thought._

" _Are you sure about this boat?" Sybil looked at the old wooden boat rather skeptically._

" _Why else would it be here?" Tom replied. "See there are even some oars in it."_

 _It took the two of them to move the boat onto the shoreline from where it sat on the shore almost hidden in some bushes._

" _I'll hold it while you get inside" Tom instructed her. "Then I'll push it into the water before jumping in."_

 _He carefully removed his shoes and socks, laid his jacket carefully on top of them and rolled up his pants. He slid the boat into the water and then jumped in it before the water got too deep._

 _He reached for one of the paddles and then used it as a pole to push the boat further out into the water. When he was satisfied the water was deep enough he took hold of the other paddle and began to row. Or at least what he thought was rowing but the boat seemed to want to bear right while he wanted to go straight and further out in the lake._

" _Tom" Sybil said in that tone he thought of as her Lady voice, "Have you ever rowed a boat before?"_

" _I don't think rowing a boat requires any special skills Sybil" he replied but as the boat moved further to the right, almost like they were making a wide circle, he wondered if that was true._

 _Sybil giggled as the boat continued to turn to the right. Tom stopped rowing for a minute as he tried to think how to get the boat to go in a straight line._

 _Now Sybil was sat so that she faced the shoreline and Tom the lake. "Maybe it's best if I can view where we're going" he said as he began rowing again._

 _Sybil's response was to giggle once again for now she was sure that Tom had no idea of what he was doing. "Actually I think it's best if you're facing the shore."_

 _Tom ignored his wife's comment and proceeded to row and the boat moved closer to the shore. Realizing he was paddling the wrong way, he started to move the paddles in the opposite direction but that seemed rather awkward to do._

" _Well if you'd rather watch the shoreline" he said as he once again had the boat make a half circle. Content that he now knew how to do it, he began paddling and the boat slowly headed towards the center of the lake._

 _They had only gone about ten maybe twenty feet when Sybil felt something cold and wet on her shoes. Looking down at her feet, she noticed water on the bottom of the boat that she was sure hadn't been there when she stepped into the boat._

" _Tom" she began quietly. "Tom … I think the boat might have a whole in it." She pointed to the water at her feet._

" _Maybe I just splashed some in when I got in the boat" he replied._

 _Sybil shook her head. "I don't think so."_

 _As he sat there looking at the bottom of the boat, he could tell there was more water coming in._

 _He began rowing as hard as he could, which meant of course that the boat made a rather circuitous route towards the shore. They had covered maybe half the distance to the shore when Sybil cried out "I think it's sinking Tom."_

" _Don't worry love we'll make it to shore" Tom cried as he tried to paddle faster but now with the water in the boat it was harder to paddle._

 _Sybil cupped her hands and tried to throw some of the water out of the boat but other than splashing water on herself as well as Tom she wasn't making any headway for the water was coming in too fast now._

 _And then it happened. It was so quick that neither Tom nor Sybil was prepared for it. One minute the boat was there and then the next they found themselves immersed in the lake._

 _Luckily for them the lake was shallow enough at this point that they could stand up although the water was up to Sybil's chest. Grabbing Sybil's arm Tom pulled her towards shore._

 _Later that evening when Sybil and Tom walked into the drawing room Cora immediately remarked "Sybil you look like you got quite a bit of sun. Didn't you wear a hat?"_

" _My hat flew off in a gust of wind" Sybil replied "and we couldn't catch it."_

" _Tom you were right about that tractor" Matthew walked over to Tom "so thanks for saving us money." He patted Tom on the back and noticing Tom wince as he did so he asked "is there something wrong with your back?"_

 _Tom felt his face probably went as scarlet as his sunburnt back. Upon reaching the shore they had to get out of their wet clothes and then …_

"What was your favorite place?" Aine asked.

Tom gave some thought before answering Aine's question for he hadn't thought of the estate in that way before. He had always felt most comfortable in the garage where he was at home tinkering with the motor cars but the garage was also where he and Sybil had come to know each other. Then there were all the lovely spots for picnics or to just sit and read a book or watch the sunset or better yet the stars.

 _He had barely gotten out of the motor car when he heard wails coming from inside the house. He immediately knew it was Aoife. While she might look like her mother with her dark curls and blue eyes, she had inherited both of her parents' independence and stubbornness._

 _Tom had barely opened the front door when Aoife came rushing at him. "Daddy … Daddy" she managed to say between sobs._

 _Lifting her up into his arms he ran his hand gently over her curls and down the side of her face. "What's the matter little one?" he murmured._

" _Ro … Ro …" she sobbed and then "Mr. Rabbit" before breaking out in full tears._

 _Tom glanced into the front parlor where Sybil was on the floor looking for something under the sofa. One year old Roisin was sitting contentedly on a blanket, her face full of crumbs from the partially eaten biscuit she held in her hand. Seeing her father her face lit up in a big grin which showed off her four front teeth. "DaDaDa" she began singing._

 _Still holding Aoife in his arms Tom walked into the room asking Sybil whatever was the matter._

 _An exasperated Sybil sat back on the floor. "Mr. Rabbit has gone missing and Aoife thinks Roisin is the culprit._

" _How could she lose it when she carries it everywhere and seems to never let go of it?"_

" _I don't know Tom but she discovered it missing about fifteen minutes ago and I've been looking everywhere for it."_

 _While her parents stood there discussing the situation, Roisin began crawling towards Tom's chair, a large cushioned chair that sat in the corner of the parlor and where he spent his evenings reading. Reaching the chair Roisin pulled herself up and then glanced back at her parents as if to say "look at me I can stand!"_

 _But neither of her parents were watching her since they were focused on Aoife and their discussion of the missing stuffed rabbit._

" _Sybil?" Tom sniffed the air. "Sybil I think something is burning."_

 _Sybil looked at Tom and then yelled "bollocks" and ran towards the kitchen to find the cranberries she was planning to make into sauce a hard black mass firmly stuck to the bottom of the pan._

 _As Tom watched Sybil throw the pan with the gooey mess into the sink and Aoife continued to cry for her lost Mr. Rabbit, he couldn't help but smile for they were here in the Estate Agent's house where they had created the family life they wanted._

Tom paused as if he was remembering something. "There were so many … but I think I'd have to say the Estate Agent's house" Tom paused "because that's where your Grand Ma and I made a home here." He reached out and put an arm around each of his granddaughters. "It was our first home with your mums."

 **A/N: This chapter was getting too long and I thought that last paragraph was a good place to break up the chapter. I threw in the flashback to their life in the Estate Agent's house at the last minute. So what I originally intended to be one chapter will now be 3 chapters. If anyone has a "scene" they'd like to see please leave a comment in a review or PM me.**


	13. Chapter 13

Artie was waiting for them when they entered the Grantham Arms. For years it had been the only place in the village to get a meal or even a pint but with the growth of the village there were now two cafes, one at the railway station and the other on the edge of town on the road towards Ripon, and a pub which was in the center of town in what had been millinery shop during Tom's time in Downton. There was also the restaurant at the Downton hotel of course but few, if any, of the villagers ever dined there.

As soon as Tom walked through the door of the Grantham Arms he felt he had been transported back in time for the place looked the same as he remembered from when he had first come to Downton. Not that he had frequented the place back then for he had neither the time nor money to spend on meals out. Although it was the only place in the village to get a pint, in no way did the place remind him of an Irish pub. It did not have the warm atmosphere of an Irish pub where no man is a stranger only a friend you haven't met yet.

He had been at Downton about a month when he had first visited the Grantham Arms. He was lonely and wanted some conversation and a good pint neither of which were available in the servants' hall. While he found a passable pint it was obvious the locals had no intention of welcoming an Irish stranger into their mist.

Lord Grantham might have visited the Grantham Arms on the rare occasion but his wife and daughters would never have thought of stepping into the place. So it was only when he and Sybil were living here with him working as the Estate Agent that they would sometimes visit the place. For Sybil it would remind her a bit of Ireland since she was only introduced to pubs once she had moved to Ireland yet even she would concede that the Dublin pubs were much more welcoming and fun.

As the Estate Agent, Tom would occasionally met clients here. Visiting salesmen who hoped the estate would buy their latest farm equipment or seeds or whatever seemed to think they had a better chance of making a sale over lunch or a few drinks.

There was one memory of the Grantham Arms that even more than fifty years later Tom could still remember as if it was yesterday. He had never told anyone including Sybil about her father trying to buy him off. It wasn't just an insult to him but to Sybil too just like in the drawing room when he had accused Tom of seducing Sybil as if she was too weak to know her own mind, that she wasn't able to make her own decisions. He would go to his grave never disclosing it although he wasn't sure why since he felt no obligation to the man but he had been Sybil's and Mary's father and they loved him and some things were best left unsaid.

 _It was only when he reached the drawing room doors that he paused. He hadn't been nervous although he knew that the next few minutes would change not only his future but would affect everyone sitting in the room beyond these doors. He thought Sybil was naïve to think that her sisters and her mother would openly be on her side. He had overheard too many conversations while driving them around to think they would suddenly open their arms to a chauffeur as a member of their family._

 _Tom was surprised Lord Grantham hadn't run him off the estate but no one came after them when they left the drawing room. Although they had a plan as far as their actions, Tom had the job offer and they'd live with his mother while the banns were read, he and Sybil hadn't really planned, hadn't rehearsed, what they'd actually say when they faced her family. But then how could one plan for such a thing because so much depended on the reaction of the others._

 _He was proud of the defiance and strength that Sybil displayed in the drawing room for she never waivered despite the harsh words from her father and grandmother. It was only now as they stood on the front lawn wrapped in each other's arms that Sybil let a few tears fall but they were tears from stress and not regret. "No never regret" Sybil had spoken._

 _As he looked into her tear-filled eyes, Tom vowed that he would never do anything to make her regret her decision. He reminded her of his pledge that day in York so long ago that if her family cast her off it wouldn't be forever and that until they came round he would devote every waking minute to her happiness._

 _He had taken a room at the Grantham Arms since he knew when he left that drawing room he would no longer be employed as the Downton chauffeur. Although they had hoped to leave within two or three days after telling her family, fate had intervened. Her mother, like so many, had contracted the Spanish flu and Sybil would not leave until she knew her mother would recover._

 _Since he no longer had a job, Tom was spending his time reading and writing in preparation of the job awaiting him in Dublin and of course thinking of that night in the drawing room. Tom thought that Lord Grantham had displayed his true feelings toward him that night._

" _you've been driving me about bowing and scraping and seducing my daughter"_

" _this is a folly, a ridiculous, juvenile madness"_

" _I won't allow my daughter to throw away her life"_

 _Lord Grantham's words kept running through Tom's head. He contrasted that with his mother's reaction. She was leery of the situation but living in Dublin she had reasons to be distrustful of the English. Yet she withheld any judgement of the girl herself until they met with her greatest concern being that Sybil loved Tom and was not just being rebellious. She also expressed concerns that Tom hadn't fully thought of what might await them in Ireland._

 _The quiet of his room was shattered when Lord Grantham suddenly burst into the room without giving him the courtesy of even knocking on the door first. But then again, Tom had shattered Lord Grantham's world when he had entered that drawing room._

" _How much will you take to leave us in peace?"_

 _The question hit Tom like a punch in the stomach. How dare the good Lord of the Manor think that Tom was only after money. How dare he think that Tom could be bought off._

" _I'll be generous if we can bring this nonsense to an end."_

 _How dare he call what he felt for Sybil nonsense. How dare he not be able to see that Tom loved his daughter and she in return loved him._

 _Tom had once told Sybil that her father seemed a fair man and a decent employer but any favorable feelings Tom had for Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, were crushed that day at the Grantham Arms._

For Aine visiting a pub was a rare treat since in America there were no such places, at least not in Virginia, and even if there were the drinking age was 21 and no one under that age was allowed in. It seemed strange to Tom that boys Arnie's age couldn't legally drink but were being sent to war in Viet Nam. It made him happy that Aine's two brothers were only twelve and fifteen and he prayed that that war would be over before his grandsons were old enough to be drafted.

Seeing Artie sitting across the table from him reminded Tom once again how much he resembled Matthew. It wasn't just the blond hair and bright blue eyes and the easy smile that lit up his face, it was also the cadence in his speech, the self-assurance, the genuine niceness. Yet there was one thing he had inherited from his grandmother Mary, her love of Downton. Although with Artie the love seemed to be for the land itself and not the trappings of the aristocracy or the financial riches and status associated with Downton. Tom had been impressed this morning with Artie's knowledge of farming and gardening and ways to make Downton not only self-sufficient but profit making.

Artie had asked about his grandfather and Tom had been telling him some stories. He and the girls were particularly taken with Tom's role in assuring that the marriage between Matthew and Mary took place.

"It just seems so strange that the heir would be some distant cousin rather Mary" Ciara commented. "It just doesn't seem fair."

"That was the way things worked back then. Of course it still does when it comes to the title" Tom stated. "That's why Mary's son George is the Earl but since he doesn't have any sons the title will pass to Arthur if he's still alive and if not to Artie.

Ciara and Aine both looked at Artie. "Will we still be able to call you Artie?" Ciara teased.

Artie straighten himself up "We'll just have to see but I make no promises."

He managed to say with a somber voice before breaking into laughter.

"You really have to thank Matthew for the state of Downton today. He was the one that insisted on modernizing the estate" Tom commented. "It wasn't always easy convincing Robert, your great grandfather, of what was needed."

"I think it was a great thing that Matthew came along for otherwise I think Downton would have gone the way of so many of the estates of the twenties" Tom continued.

"Why do you think he was so willing to make changes?" Artie asked.

"You have to realize that he wasn't part of the aristocracy when he became the heir. He was a middle class solicitor, the son of a doctor and a nurse. It gave him a different perspective" Tom answered.

Tom looked at his granddaughters. "It wasn't only Matthew that changed things but his mother too. It was because of Isobel that your grandmother became a nurse during the Great War. If she hadn't become a nurse I'm not sure she would have ever married me.

 _As he approached the hospital he is surrounded by wounded men being carried in on stretchers. He is surprised at the number of wounded yet he realizes he shouldn't be, he and Sybil had talked three nights ago of the major British offensive currently being waged on the Western Front near Arras, France. Now he was seeing some of those wounded troops arriving at Downton._

 _He loved seeing her in the hospital. It was the one place where they were on an equal level, he the chauffeur and her the nurse not he the servant and she the Lady. He loved how proud she was to be called Nurse Crawley and how determined she was to be just like the other nurses._

 _But of course to her family she would never be Nurse Crawley and that is why he found himself here today in the midst of the chaos of the hospital ward delivering a food basket to Sybil. Dr. Clarkson and Isobel are directing where to put all the wounded men while the nurses, including Sybil, rush around trying to get the men into beds._

 _Approaching Sybil as she ensures a young man is comfortable or at least as comfortable as the conscious but severely wounded man can be, he holds up the basket and says "Her ladyship had Mrs. Patmore make this up for you. So you could eat something during the day."_

 _Sybil doesn't take her eyes off her patient. "Oh I won't have time but thank you."_

 _He follows her as she briskly walks over to the far corner of the room where she ensures that the beds are ready for patients._

" _Is it what you thought it would be?"_

 _Sybil continues her work but takes a few seconds before responding. He can tell that she is seriously considering her response. "No it's more savage and more cruel than I could have imagined. But I feel useful for the first time in my life."_

 _He stands there still in the midst of the chaos holding the basket of food, his dark green chauffeur uniform making him standout from the brown uniforms of the wounded and the men carrying them and from the white and gray uniform of the nurses. Realizing Sybil needs some help moving some of the beds, he puts down the basket and rushes to help her._

" _So you wouldn't go back to your life before the war?"_

 _This time there is no hesitation in her response. "Oh no. I could never go back to that again." With that she quickly walks away to help another nurse._

 _He watches her for a few more minutes. He recalls how easily she had worked with Daisy and Mrs. Patmore in the kitchen, how eager she had been to learn and now he sees how easily she has transitioned from Lady to nurse. Her words "I could never go back to that again" play over and over in his mind and it gives him hope. Hope that the life he offered her that day in York will no longer seem too alien to her._

"Isobel was so different from the other Crawley women. She worked and continued to do so after she and Matthew moved here. She had causes and took a strong role in them" Tom continued.

Tom smiled as he thought of Isobel. "She believed in women's rights and especially their right to vote. She was certainly progressive for her time. I think Isobel was a role model for Sybil."

"So did she work as a nurse here?" Aine asked.

"She did. Although later during the war she and Cora clashed over the running of Downton as a convalescent home and eventually Isobel went to work for the Red Cross or something like that and went to France."

"But after the war she came back here and I'm not sure she actually worked as a nurse but she was always involved with the Cottage Hospital. And when we lived here and Sybil decided to go to nursing school Isobel was a great help to her in her studies."

 _His knock on the door was answered by Isobel's housekeeper, Irene. Since Moseley had gone with Matthew to the Abbey, Isobel now only had Irene in her employ who was both the housekeeper and the cook._

 _Irene directed Tom to the parlor. He stopped in the doorway to watch his wife and Isobel. They were seated at the table with numerous books, many open, scattered across the table. Sybil had a pile of note papers in front of her and she was in deep concentration as she vigorously wrote something down while Isobel talked to her._

 _He stood watching them until Isobel sensed his presence and turned and looked at him. Smiling he walked over to the table and put his hand on Sybil's back. "How did the studying go?" he asked._

" _Oh Tom!" Sybil cried out. She finished whatever she was writing and set her pen down. "I had no idea it was so late."_

 _Isobel reached over and touched Sybil's arm. "She'll do wonderful. I have no doubt."_

 _Sybil smiled at the older woman who in so many ways seemed much more like a mother to her than Cora did. "You really think so?"_

" _You just need to control your nerves. There is no doubt you know the material. If you get stuck on a question just think about your work at the hospital and the answer will come to you."_

 _Tom nodded at Isobel's words. "I've told her she has nothing to worry about but"_

" _But taking an exam is different from actually doing the work" Sybil broke in. She looked back and forth between Tom and Isobel._

" _Sybil you're a wonderful nurse and you have so much experience" Isobel began "just don't let your nerves get the best of you."_

" _So you are still coming with us to the graduate ceremony on Friday?" Tom asked._

 _Isobel smiled. "I wouldn't miss it for anything."_

 _Sybil stood and started closing all books. She left some of them on the table and a few others she put into the satchel that was laying on the chair beside her._

" _Good." Tom responded. "We're also taking Aoife with us."_

" _I know she's too young to know what's going on but I want her to be able to say she saw her mother graduate from nursing school" Sybil explained to Isobel. "I want her to know how important education is."_

" _I think that's wonderful" Isobel said._

 _As Isobel watched Tom and Sybil get in their motor car she thought of how far they had come. She never imagined that when she had suggested to the young girl that she consider becoming a volunteer nurse to help in the war effort that Sybil would find a true calling. Now all these years later, that Sybil had returned to nursing school and actually earned a nursing degree filled Isobel with pride._

" _I know these last two years have been hard" Sybil began speaking as Tom drove out of the village and towards the Estate Agent's house._

" _You've worked hard Sybil and I'm so proud of you" Tom responded._

 _Sybil looked over at her husband. "I wasn't just talking about me. I know it's been hard for you too. The work around the house you've done so I could study or work at the hospital. The hours you've spent with the girls while I attended class." Sybil chuckled "the hours you've spent driving me to and from the college."_

" _But it's not just that. It's all the times I been so tired" Sybil sighed. "Too tired to be a proper mother or wife."_

 _Tom was surprised to hear her talk aloud of these things. She was right the last two years had been hard. As much as he was proud of her for pursing her goal, there were times he was annoyed with her. There had been arguments between them usually when Tom felt neglected or he felt she was neglecting Aoife._

 _He had detected some resentment on her part when she became pregnant with Roisin. She had to take a break during the end of her pregnancy which meant she didn't graduate with the rest of her classmates but she wanted to go right back to school for the next term leaving him with an infant as well as a not quite three year old. It was then that he had come up with the idea of bringing his niece Oonagh over from Ireland and Sybil had readily agreed to it._

" _We made it work. It might have taken more than you or I thought it would but it worked" Tom smiled at his wife._

"So how did the rest of the family react to her?" Artie asked.

"I think it was rocky at first. Yet she was the mother of the heir and so eventually she was accepted as a member of the family. But she always kept her strong opinions and was never afraid to voice them" Tom responded.

He then chuckled as her thought of Isobel and Violet. "The conversations I overheard between her and old lady Grantham, the Dowager Countess when I was driving them around."

The girls had no idea what he was talking about. "Dowager Countess?" they cried almost in unison.

"That's the title for the widowed mother of the Earl" Tom responded as he nodded towards Artie "these aristos have titles for everyone."

"She was our great-great-grandmother" Artie stated. "Although I never met her but Dad and grandmamma talk about her. You probably saw some pictures of her yesterday."

"Like Isobel, she was a woman of very strong opinions and had no reservations in voicing them. Some would say she had a very sharp tongue. But I think she was also very practical. In many ways Mary reminds me of her."

 _To Tom their visit was a complete disaster. He knew he wasn't really accepted by most of them with only Cora and Isobel seemingly sincere in their welcome. He wondered why someone had sent them the money so they could come, was it just so Sybil could see she had made a mistake with the hope that she'd realize it and refuse to return to Ireland with him._

 _How easily Sybil had transitioned back into her old life. It wasn't only that she had her gowns and jewelry so that she looked like them but that she was comfortable in that world; after all it was the world she had grown up in. It didn't matter what he wore he wasn't comfortable at the dining table or in the drawing room and he knew he'd never fit in._

 _But the humiliation he had received at the hands of Larry Grey may have been an unexpected turning point. Matthew offered him the job of best man and Mary seemed delighted at that. It may have been only to counter Larry's actions and words, "grubby little chauffeur" still rang in Tom's ears, but it was a way of saying, no showing, that he was a part of the Crawley family._

 _Most unexpected of all though was the revelation that it was the Dowager who had sent them the money. He was truly touched by that, that she wanted her granddaughter and her husband to be present at Mary's wedding. For better or worse, he was now part of their family. Maybe not what they wanted or even thought was desirable but Sybil had made her choice and Violet, being the practical woman she was, realized she had to accept it._

Tom continued "Many people were afraid of her but not Isobel. One of the things I most liked about Isobel was than she was never in awe of the Crawleys. It was fun to see them become the best of friends."

Aine looked at Ciara and Tom could sense there was something on their minds. It was Ciara that finally spoke up. "We've learned so much about Grand Ma's family between your stories and yesterday with Aunt Mary and the photographs. But there's one person that Aunt Mary seemed not to want to talk about. She …"

Tom cut in "Edith."

Both girls nodded their heads. "I didn't even know Grand Ma had another sister until we saw the photographs yesterday" Aine stated.

Realizing that they had finished eating quite some time ago, Tom called for their bill. "I think it might be best for that story if I show you something."

"Do you want to join us Artie or do you have to get back to work?" Tom asked.

Although he knew vaguely about Aunt Edith, Artie was curious as to what Tom would say about her. "I'd like to join you."

The three younger generation were surprised when Tom walked them the five minutes to the village church. But it wasn't the church that was their destination but rather the church's cemetery.

"There's generations of Crawleys buried here" Artie commented as Tom led them to a section of the graveyard.

He stopped in front of two large ornate headstones as befitting an Earl and Countess of Grantham. It only took a moment for the girls to realize these were the graves of their great-grandparents, Robert and Cora Crawley. Robert, they noted, had died in 1930, while his wife lived until 1943.

"I didn't realize she outlived him by so many years" Ciara stated.

"It's funny that Grandmama and Dad and even Uncle George talk a lot about the past but it seems they always talk about the estate, the land or the house and it's furnishings, the customs and etiquette but rarely about the people" Arte spoke up.

Arte pointed towards a tall monument that stood about thirty feet away. "They rarely even talk about Grandpapa. But I know Grandmama brings flowers to his grave. She even put that bench there so she could sit when she visits."

"Your Grandmother loved Matthew very much. I think she loves Howard but Matthew will always be her great love" Tom quietly remarked as he looked in the distance his eyes no longer focusing on Matthew's monument.

Artie and the girls knew that Tom was thinking of his great love.

Tom remained silent for a minute or two before looking at the girls. "But I came here to talk about Edith."

He walked to the grave that was closest to Cora's. It was only about two or three feet away but the more modest headstone was set back so that it wasn't visible if one stood directly in front of Cora's grave.

The headstone read

 _Lady Edith Victoria Crawley_

 _Beloved daughter of Robert and Cora_

 _B 1892 D 1932_

"She was so young" Ciara exclaimed.

Directly next to Edith's grave, almost touching her headstone, was a smaller headstone with three small angels on the top that simply read

 _Marigold_

 _Beloved child_

 _B 1923 D 1932_


	14. Chapter 14

As they stood there in front of Edith's grave, Tom wasn't sure where to begin talking about Edith. He hadn't always liked Edith, especially in the beginning, and he thought she was the cause of much of her misery but he had to admit he felt a certain pity for her. He recalled that when he drove around her parents or her Granny he rarely heard them discuss Edith and even when they did it wasn't always in the best light. And of course there was the humiliation of that Strallan guy leaving her at the altar. Then glancing at the small headstone beside hers, and what of the story of Marigold he thought. How much of any of that should he say?

He had been just as guilty as the rest of them in overlooking her. Recalling the first time he had met Cora, Edith, and Sybil he remembered that he had noticed Cora mostly because of her unexpected American accent and of course he noticed Sybil since he was immediately drawn to her with her women's rights remarks. But Edith … Edith had just been there.

Actually he had only taken note of her when she had whined about Sybil getting something new and not her. He wasn't yet accustomed to the ways of this family but surely anyone who lived in a house like Downton Abbey had enough money to fund their every desire so he was surprised that the daughters waited their turn for a new dress.

Of the three sisters Edith was by far the quietest and in Tom's opinion the meekest. She lacked the self-assurance of her older sister or the vibrancy of Sybil. From the time he was the chauffeur, he had witnessed enough snickering and pettiness between Edith and Mary to know the animosities between the two so Sybil's occasional outbursts to him regarding her sisters was not a surprise.

The three youngsters stood waiting for Tom to talk. Ciara knew her grandfather well enough that she could tell he was contemplating what to say. She knew by the deep furrow of his brow that the story of Edith wasn't the happy memories that they had mostly talked about during their visit here.

"I think Edith was one of those people that was never sure of herself" Tom began. He could only imagine how it had been for Edith growing up overshadowed by both her sisters, one far more charming and one far more generous and warmhearted. "I think she would have liked to have been more like Sybil with her independence but she sometimes lacked confidence. She was only a year younger than Mary and they seemed to have a way of riling each other, of bringing out the worst in the other."

"And in many ways they were so alike." Yet he decided he wouldn't elaborate on those traits the two shared, for they didn't flatter either sister and with Edith long dead and Mary somewhat mellowed there was no point to do so especially when talking to Mary's grandson.

"I have to admit that during my time here as the chauffeur I didn't have much interaction with her. It was rare that she was alone in the motor car, mostly she traveled with her mother or her sisters, and she certainly adhered to the social strictures of that time" he glanced at his granddaughters "and that meant no conversation with the mere chauffeur."

" _I want to learn to drive." The words, delivered forcefully and sounding like an order, as well as the girl who spoke them, startled Tom. He was leaning up against one of the motor cars reading the newspaper, his discarded uniform jacket neatly folded and laying across the car's front seat, his shirt sleeves rolled up and his loosened tie draping casually around his neck, leaving him inappropriately dressed to be in the company of one of the family._

 _If it had been Sybil he would have just lowered the newspaper and greeted her warmly not really caring that he wasn't in what Carson would call proper dress. But it wasn't Sybil who stood at the entrance to the garage it was her sister._

 _It seemed as if the forcefulness of her statement had drained her for Lady Edith stood hesitantly at the open garage doors as if she was unsure whether or not to actually step into the garage and Tom wondered if she had ever been here before. He had been at Downton for over three years now and in that time his conversations, if one could call them such, with her had been relegated to such mundane matters as where to park the car or how long she would be or her need for him to accompany her so he could carry her packages. She rarely answered his "Good Morning or Good Afternoon" with more than a nod and a faint smile as he helped her into the motor car._

 _The look on his face showed her statement had taken him by surprise. Still holding the newspaper in his hands and not bothering to adjust either his shirt or his tie he started to respond to her when he realized her now apparent hesitancy might have more to do with his appearance as her eyes had widen at the sight of him before she quickly diverted them to the garage floor._

 _He threw the newspaper on the seat after grabbing his jacket which he quickly donned but the tie remained untied._

" _You want to learn to drive?"_

" _Yes Branson I want you to teach me to drive."_

" _Has your father agreed to this?" He could tell how her cheeks suddenly reddened that she hadn't discussed the matter with her father._

" _I want to do my part for the war effort" she responded._

 _He frowned not understanding how her driving would help the war effort. He knew some women were driving ambulances but he couldn't imagine Lady Edith on the battlefield._

" _When you get called up we'll need someone who can drive."_

" _I don't expect to be called up milady. I'm not English I'm Irish."_

 _Now it was Edith's turn to slightly frown. "I don't see how that matters you're still under the King's rule."_

 _Tom could feel his face burning. Of course the Irish were ruled by the King but that didn't make it right and he certainly had no intention of fighting for this King's war especially after the recent events in Dublin._

 _Edith, unaware of the depth of Tom's anger, continued blithely "so when can we start?"_

" _I'll have to discuss it with his lordship first."_

 _Without another word to him, Edith turned and stomped off nearly colliding with Sybil who had entered the courtyard._

 _Seeing the look on Edith's face, Sybil reached out to touch her sister's arm. "Edith what's the matter?"_

 _But Edith was in no mood to talk. She angrily pulled her arm away from Sybil's grasp and continued on. Sybil looked towards the garage and saw Branson standing there. She knew him well enough by now to be able to discern the look on his face._

" _Whatever is the matter Branson? What made Edith go stomping off?" she quietly asked as she approached him._

 _His eyes still firmly fixed in the direction Edith had taken although she was no longer in sight, Tom replied, his voice unusually harsh "Your sister wants driving lessons."_

 _Sybil chuckled "And you fear for your life?"_

 _But there was no laughter in Tom's eyes as he looked at Sybil. "She wants to take over my job." Then noting the look of puzzlement on Sybil's face he softened his voice. "She thinks I'll soon be in the ranks of your King's army."_

" _Oh" was all Sybil could muster. It had been some time since they had discussed this but Sybil knew Tom's feelings on that matter. She also knew she couldn't bear it if he did leave._

" _Well I wouldn't concern myself with Edith's remarks, no one else does."_

 _Now it was Tom's turn to look puzzled. He hadn't known Sybil to make such a catty remark and that it was about one of her sisters was certainly surprising. He slightly shook his head. "Now that was something I would expect to hear from Lady Mary not you."_

 _Sybil bowed her head but not before Tom could see her blush._

" _Do you really think she'd be dangerous driving?" he asked hoping to sound lighthearted and change the mood._

 _A look of amusement crossed Sybil's face. "Well she never got the hang of riding a bicycle … at least not in a straight line … and her turns were …"_

 _Tom smiled. "So maybe I should pray that your father doesn't give his approval?"_

"It was the war that brought out something in her. Up until then she was like much of her kind, doing nothing really with her days, waiting around for a gentleman to come calling and whisking her away to a grand estate where she'd be the lady of the manor."

"But Grand Ma wasn't like that was she" Ciara injected.

Tom chuckled. "No your Grand Ma wasn't like many of her kind. I know that her parents thought I was the one that influenced her politics but that wasn't really true. She was already interested in politics and women's rights when we met. I was just someone to talk with about those things that interested her."

"And just as the war gave your Grand Ma a purpose … nursing … the war gave Edith a sense of purpose too."

"Did she become a nurse also?" Artie asked.

Tom shook his head. "No but she did help out when Downton was turned into a convalescent home. She read to the wounded or wrote letters for them or just sat and talked to them or listened to them talk."

"But even before then she helped out at a local farm driving a tractor for a farmer whose help had been sent to the battlefront.

"She drove a tractor!" Aine seemed quite impressed. "How ever did she learn that?"

"Actually I taught her how to drive."

 _Tom had just finished removing his uniform trousers and zipping up his coveralls when Sybil strode into the garage surprising Tom with her late morning visit. With the mood he was now in he wasn't sure he was up for a visitor even her. But then he looked at her, standing there in the late morning light, her skin glowing and her eyes shining and his heart fluttered._

 _He couldn't help but think how comfortable she had become with visiting the garage. When she had first started coming here just to talk to him, her entrances were quiet and her steps hesitant as if she was battling with herself as to whether or not she should enter._

" _Whatever happened to the motor car?" Sybil asked looking back at the vehicle sitting in front of the garage. She was so used to seeing the motor cars in pristine condition it was rather surprising to see one with dirt all over it including splatters on the windshield._

" _Your sister" he replied gruffly._

" _Edith!" Sybil wasn't sure she had heard him right. "What does Edith have to do with getting the motor car so dirty?"_

 _Tom glanced at the motor car and shook his head as if in disbelief that one of the motor cars he took such pride in maintaining would look like that._

" _Edith has told Papa that she's mastered driving and we can start calling on her to drive us."_

 _Tom shook his head in disgust, the soothing effect she had on him a moment ago when he first saw her had disappeared as he looked once again at the motor car. Nodding his head in the direction of the dirty motor car he bellowed "Does that look like the motor car of someone who can properly drive!"_

 _Sybil was quite surprised by Tom's tone and agitation. If they had been discussing the war or Ireland then sure but discussing the motor car?_

" _Are you going to tell me what happened?"_

" _Your sister doesn't want to listen to me, she thinks she knows what she's doing. She doesn't understand road conditions. She took a curve too fast, drove right off the road."_

 _Sybil could understand that Tom would be annoyed if Edith didn't listen to him but still he seemed to be a bit too much irritated._

" _Well at least neither of you were hurt" Sybil thought she'd try to lighten his mood by saying something positive._

 _Tom inhaled deeply. "One of the back tires became stuck in the mud."_

" _And your sister … she laughed as if it was so amusing …"_

 _Tom walked slowly around the motor car as if trying to reassure himself that there was no damage._

 _Tom stopped at the offending tire. "What really makes me mad is that Lady Edith is just like all your lot. She doesn't care that her actions or carelessness causes work for others. If Mr. Crome hadn't come along and helped me we'd still probably be there."_

 _Still looking at the car he continued "now I have to spend what was supposed to be my afternoon off cleaning and polishing and making sure there isn't any damage."_

" _And forget the work it will take to make my uniform trousers presentable. Just now when I took off my muddy trousers I found that there are a couple of tears in them so I'll probably have to buy a new pair. I'll have to spend my own money because …" Tom kicked the tire._

 _Sybil walked over to stand by Tom. She had winced when he said "your lot" but as he had continued with his story she could understand his anger at Edith. Yet she could also feel anger with herself because he was right that her class didn't think of the effect of their actions on those that served them. Even she was guilty of that._

 _She wanted to reach out and pat his arm, to tell him she was sorry, but she knew that would sound hollow. She could tell him she'd help him, it might be fun spending an afternoon splashing water around … stopped herself … that's just it … it isn't fun to him it's his job … and he takes pride in his work._

 __"The Great War had a profound effect on society. With so many men away fighting, for the first time a large number of women held jobs, doing the work that those soldiers had done before the war. And when the war was over, as many of those men came back to claim their old jobs, many of those women were no longer content to return to their former lives."

Tom looked at his granddaughters. "Sorry to keep getting into politics when it's the story of Edith I'm supposed to be covering."

Looking once more at her headstone Tom sighed. "But so much of Edith's story is interwoven with society of that time."

"Edith was a bit lost after the war. I think she had truly enjoyed the work she had done with the soldiers. But once that was over, once Downton was no longer a convalescent home, the only expectations of her were to ... well … marry … but "

Tom smiled at his granddaughters while thinking that brought him to the story of Edith and the almost wedding.

Not for the first time Tom thought that what the Great War had awakened in Edith, being jilted at the altar had only deepened. And she finally showed a side of her that had been hiding just under the surface if anyone had dared to look.

 _Tom was driving back from one of the tenant's farms when he spotted Edith walking alone on one of the estate's rarely used roads. He could tell she was in deep concentration because it wasn't until he stopped the car beside her that she seemed to realize his presence._

" _What brings you out here?" He hoped his voice sounded light and cheery._

" _I just thought the fresh air and sunshine would …" Taking a long look at her brother in law she debated whether to confide in him before remembering that Tom himself had been a journalist and therefore might have some insight._

" _I'm thinking over the offer from the editor of the Sketch … that is . . . should I write a column."_

 _Tom got out and came around the car to stand beside Edith. Both of them leaned against the car and stared out at the vast expanse of the estate._

" _What is there to think about" Tom asked. "I mean I thought it was something you were interested in."_

 _Edith smiled faintly. "I am interested. I am interested in doing something with my life but … but … of course Papa and Granny think it's foolish and Mary thinks …"_

 _Tom quickly interrupted. "What does it matter what anyone else thinks?"_

 _Edith slightly shook her head, chuckled, and then smiled broadly. "That so sounds like Sybil. Even as a child Sybil didn't care what others thought."_

 _She glanced at her brother in law before turning her gaze once again out across the field and to the house which was barely visible in the distance. "She's always been unafraid to try things. Even though I was the older sibling I found I'd follow her lead. What's the worst that could happen she'd say. Papa will ban us to our rooms for the evening?"_

" _I remember one day, Sybil was probably about seven or eight, and she thought we should do some exploring of the house. She was determined to eventually go into every room." Edith seeing Tom's expression emitted a small laugh. "I know … hard to imagine having a house with so many rooms one need to make plans to actually visit them all."_

" _Anyway, we went up to the top floor where we had never been before and into some rooms that I'm not sure when they were last used if ever."_

" _One of the rooms had these old rickety stairs and Sybil insisted on seeing where they led. Surprisingly it was a way to the roof … to one of those corner turrets" Edith pointed to a corner of the Abbey visible even from this distance._

" _The views were amazing. I was surprised how far we could see. We probably spent an hour or so just looking at the views. Then we suddenly realized it was getting cold but when we went to the door we couldn't open it."_

" _It was getting colder and colder. We kept banging on the door but of course no one could hear us. Finally we heard a car coming up the drive and we stood there waving and shouting but no one saw us. Then Sybil found some stones and threw those down and that got us noticed."_

" _Of course Papa was very angry. He said we had no business going up there but Sybil was undaunted." Edith laughed as she recalled the scene, Papa his face actually red with anger standing so large in front of little Sybil. While she would have been cowering in fear, the tears running down her face, Sybil stood there in front of her father in the stance Edith always thought of as Sybil's fighting mode with not a tear in sight and her voice strong. "She told him he needed to fix the door so no one could get locked out again."_

 _At that Tom couldn't help but chuckle. He could picture his Sybil saying such a thing, standing there facing her father, her hands on her hips, unrepentant._

 _Edith continued her story "His reply was to send us to our bedrooms and for the next week we were not allowed any sweets."_

" _I can still hear Sybil whispering to me I think it was worth it. And the funny thing is every evening that week she'd sneak into my bedroom with a handful of biscuits. She wouldn't tell me how she managed that."_

 _Tom laughed at Edith's story. He knew how headstrong and, dare he think it, devious his wife could be when she set her mind on something._

" _Well what is the worst that could happen?" Tom replied gently. "So what if you write something that the editor doesn't like … you just write something else."_

 _Tom put his arm around Edith's shoulder as he would to one of his own sisters. "If you want someone to bounce ideas off of or to look at your writing before submitting it I'd be happy to help."_

 _Edith was silent for a few minutes. Then she smiled broadly at Tom. "You're right … what is the worst that could happen?"_

A/N: Thanks again to all who read and review this story. I had quite a hard time coming up with some Tom and Edith memories since they had so little interaction until, in the show, after Sybil's death. Strangely the last part of this chapter was one of the first things I wrote for this story and it's been sitting there waiting for ages.


	15. Chapter 15

_It wasn't unusual to find Tom in the library, in fact if one were looking for him it would be the first place one would think of._

 _Edith gazed at her brother-in-law who sat in one of the lounge chairs that faced the window, a deep look of concentration on his face as he stared out the window. There was an unopened book and what Edith surmised was a glass of whiskey sitting on the side table beside his chair._

 _Even though she had called out to him in greeting when she entered the room he had continued staring out the window as if he wasn't aware of her presence._

 _Walking over to the window Edith looked out thinking maybe there was something outside that had so caught his attention but she saw nothing other than the darkness of the night._

" _Tom" Turning back at her brother-in-law, Edith called again as she had when entering the room but he remained quiet._

" _Tom!" The loudness of her voice finally broke through and he looked at her._

" _You seem to be a million miles away."_

 _Although he smiled at her, it was a smile that didn't reach his eyes which seemed filled with worry or anxiety she couldn't quite determine which._

" _Is Aoife keeping you awake?"_

 _This time a genuine smile lit up his face. "No. Both she and her mother are sleeping soundly. Something they both need."_

" _Then what has you down here?"_

 _He looked away from her, his eyes once again staring out into the darkness of the night. "I'm just … I …"_

" _Is it about taking the Estate Agent job?"_

 _Tom looked at her in surprise. But then he reasoned that Edith was so much more perceptive than people gave her credit for. It was probably honed from years of being in the background. While she might not have always been recognized or acknowledged she sat there listening and observing those around her._

" _Aye."_

" _Is it you feel you're compromising your beliefs or that it's acknowledging that you're stuck here or a combination of both that is keeping you awake?"_

 _Tom sighed. "So it's not just Sybil and Matthew but now you too that can read me."_

" _It's not so hard to figure out Tom" she replied._

 _He took a sip of his whiskey but remained silent._

" _Sybil can't travel yet and it may take a while for her to get back her strength. It would give you something to do with your time rather than walk aimlessly for hours." Again surprise showed on Tom's face._

 _Edith sat down in the chair opposite Tom's. "It would help Matthew and he could certainly use an ally."_

" _But would I be a help or a hindrance? Your father isn't going to want to hear my opinion about the estate."_

" _But Matthew does. In many ways he's an outsider like you …"_

 _At that Tom raised his eyebrow and gave a gentle snort. But Edith wouldn't be deterred._

" _No really Tom." Edith looked around the large elegant room. "While his origins might not be the same as yours, he wasn't born into this lifestyle either. I can't imagine he ever thought he'd be an Earl one day."_

" _I do need to do something" Tom conceded "and I get along with Matthew."_

" _So you'll do it?"_

 _Tom laughed. "Did Sybil send you down here?"_

 _Shaking her head, Edith laughed. "I thought you said she was deep in sleep?"_

"How horrible" Aine exclaimed after hearing the story of Edith's failed wedding to Sir Anthony Strallan.

"I can't imagine such a thing" added Ciara.

Even Artie joined in with "what a cad. He should have talked to Edith. Surely there was plenty of time before the wedding day."

Oh how different things would have been if Strallan had gone through with the wedding Tom thought. For one thing, I might not be standing here at her grave. Then looking at the little headstone of Marigold's …

"Everyone thought that because of her nursing and then marrying me that Sybil was the rebel in the family but Edith in her own quiet way proved to be just as rebellious. I'm not sure if it was her work during the Great War or being jilted at the altar or a combination of the two but Edith was no longer content with the expectations of her life."

"Another custom of that day was that married women had breakfast served to them in their bedroom by their lady's maid while single women breakfasted in the dining room."

Both Aine and Ciara rolled their eyes and giggled at this but it was Ciara who voiced "they certainly had rules for everything back then!"

"When Sybil and I came back here after my banishment from Ireland" Tom started but Artie quickly interrupted him. "You were banished from Ireland?"

Tom inhaled deeply. He hadn't thought that Artie didn't know the story of his return to Downton. "That's a story for over a pint later."

"I'll hold you to it" Artie responded hardily. "Wow! There's more to this family's past than I ever thought of. Grandmama doesn't talk much about the past unless it's about Grandpapa so there seems to be so much I don't know."

Tom returned to his story of Edith and talked about how he, Matthew, and Edith bonded over breakfast. Tom was surprised to learn that Edith was interested in the plight of women. Even more surprising was her interest in matters that concerned the estate. Her curiosity, displayed by the questions she asked, showed she was well versed on a variety of topics. Her interest in agricultural issues stemmed from Strallan and she had learned a lot in her discussions with him. If there was something of particular interest to her she would accompany Matthew or him on their rounds.

 _Even from the Great Hall Tom could hear the voices from the dining room, not that he could make out what was being said for the door was closed making the voices muffled, but that the sounds were carried out to the hall made it was clear that the conversation was probably not about some innocuous topic like the weather._

 _Yet whatever the topic had been, the conversation ceased when he opened the door and entered the dining hall. Both Edith and Matthew looked at him and smiled unlike his father-in-law who didn't bother to turn in Tom's direction but instead looked down at his plate and picked up the last piece of his toast._

 _Tom nodded to those sitting at the table before picking up a plate and looking at the array of food spread on the sideboard. Suddenly realizing how hungry he was he filled his plate with scrambled eggs, sausages, and toast._

" _You look tired Tom" Edith noted as Tom took his usual seat._

 _Robert, as usual, had been the first down for breakfast and his plate was now empty. At Edith's remarks, Robert glanced at his son-in-law and even he could note the deep circles under Tom's eyes. But Robert had no sympathy for the man for he thought it was his own fault._

" _Well if they would do as Cora and I suggest and get a nanny"_

" _Papa" Edith interrupted her father._

 _Robert looked at Edith then sighing heavily he picked up his mail and announced "I better get started on these" and walked out of the room._

 _As he walked out, the three remaining seated at the table inwardly sighed, happy that their breakfast could continue without conflict. It wasn't only the conflict between Robert and Tom which no one in the room thought would ever abate but also between Robert and Matthew on the running of the estate and now between Robert and his daughter over her journalistic ambitions._

 _Tom dropped his eyes towards his plate. Oh how he yearned to be at the table in his mother's kitchen, the room filled with the aroma of his mother's cooking and the laughter and chattering of his siblings. How much more soothing that was than the silence of this vast room with the walls lined with dark portraits of past residents many of whom looked as if they had never laughed in their life._

" _Edith was just telling us about her ideas for her future articles" Matthew broke the silence._

 _Tom looked up at his sister-in-law and smiled. "And what would that be?" he asked with genuine interest._

" _I've been thinking about the effect the war had on women" Edith began. "We read so much about the men … not to diminish them since they bore the actual fighting … but there's been very little on how women have been effected. Women aided the war effort in so many ways not just in the obvious ways such as nurses and ambulance drivers but also working in factories or shops or on farms."_

" _And of course there's the economic impact on women whose husbands died or were seriously injured and can no longer work."_

 _Tom was pleased how animated Edith was as she talked. "None of that sounds so radical to me" he commented "so why I did hear raised voices before I came in here?"_

 _Edith glanced over at Matthew and it was Matthew who spoke first. "Well we started off talking about how the war has changed the country. Robert of course immediately thought I wanted to talk about the estate."_

" _I hoped to relieve Matthew a bit and I got into the topic of how many women are no longer content to sit around and do nothing. Women want to work or attend university" Edith added._

 _Tom chuckled. "And I take it not everyone shares that view?"_

 _Looking at Matthew, Edith continued "It might have been better to let the conversation just be about the estate."_

" _Oh so you want me to take the brunt of it?" Matthew asked good naturedly._

" _Well if Tom had gotten down here earlier we both would have escaped" Edith retorted in the same lighthearted manner._

 _Both of them turned to look at Tom._

 _Looking at them quite seriously, Tom stated. "Sybil and I were just talking this morning about how she'd like to start coming down here for breakfast. Do you think Robert would mind if we brought Aoife?"_

 _Matthew and Edith stared at him as if he were mad. "Another change Robert isn't quite ready for?" Tom asked cheekily causing all three of them to break out laughing._

"Edith didn't read political books, I don't think she was interested in political theories or philosophies, but rather she kept abreast of current events and the news of the day. She wrote a letter to the editor of a London newspaper regarding the rights of women to vote and much to Robert's consternation it was published. That letter caught the attention of publisher of a woman's magazine and he contacted Edith."

 _On a fine autumn day Tom was out for a stroll pushing his infant daughter in her very large black pram. It was obviously made to hold a child two or three years old so the four month old Aoife looked very tiny in it. This was the very same pram that had once carried her mother which Tom and Sybil had stumbled upon when searching the vast Downton attics._

 _Whenever he didn't have a meeting or some pressing engagement immediately after luncheon Tom liked to spend some time with Aoife before resuming his duties as Estate Manager. He found the break a good way to clear his mind from the demands of his job but mainly he did it just because he liked spending time with his daughter. He was amazed how much she seemed to grow and change just from day to day and he didn't want to miss any of that._

" _Trying to decide which way to walk or whether you should go back to the house?" Edith merrily commented as she approached Tom who had stopped where the path broke off into two different directions. Aoife who usually contentedly cooed while her father quietly murmured to her seemed to be a bit unhappy today and he feared her soft cries might soon break out into the full on wails he was surprised that someone so small could possibly emit._

 _Edith, peering into the large pram, broke into a wide smile as she looked at her niece. "What's the matter little one?" she said as she reached into the pram and Aoife, who was aimlessly flailing her arms in the air, wrapped her tiny fingers around Edith's hand._

 _Whether it was the sound of Edith's voice or the touch of her hand, Aoife immediately stopped crying and after a few more seconds of her aunt's calming voice she kicked her legs in the air and awarded Edith a big grin._

" _I thought I'd take advantage of this wonderful weather and walk to the post office to mail my latest magazine article" Edith stated while her attentions still seemed to be fully on Aoife._

 _Turning to Tom she asked "Would you like to accompany me?"_

 _Looking down into the pram at his now contented daughter "I think that might be a good idea" Tom replied as, at the sound of his voice, Aoife suddenly diverted her eyes from her aunt to her father. "Would you like that Aoife?"_

 _As if to show her agreement, Aoife flailed her arms and legs and made those sounds that her parents considered laughter._

 _Tom and Edith walked in companionable silence._

" _It will be lonely when you and Sybil move to the Estate Agent's house."_

" _We'll still be quite close." Still too close Tom thought but decided not to voice that sentiment._

" _But it won't be the same." Edith shook her head. "I didn't realize until Sybil had gone to Ireland how much I … I relied on her."_

 _Edith stared straight ahead as she and Tom continued walking towards the village._

" _Was it hard after she left?" In his own happiness at finally having Sybil, he hadn't given a thought to the family she left behind._

" _In the beginning it was … difficult" Edith seemed to carefully choose her words. "Mama had resigned herself to the situation" Edith looked at Tom "I mean about you and Sybil but Papa … Papa … I truly think he thought she'd come running back."_

" _I think there were quite a few arguments between them." Edith looked down at the now sleeping Aoife._

" _But that's all in the past. We've come to … well you are part of the family now. I'll miss you too …. especially at breakfast. It's been so wonderful having you and Matthew and now Sybil there."_

" _We have had some lively discussions haven't we" Tom chuckled. "I've enjoyed that too."_

" _We can still have our discussions, you can come over for a meal or tea or just to talk. Both Sybil and I are interested in your writing."_

 _Looking down at his still sleeping daughter, Tom suddenly put his arm around Edith. "And we may need to call you over to quiet this little one!"_

 _Edith blushed at the kindness of Tom's words and once again she thought how lucky her sister was._

"He asked her to write an article for his magazine and he was so pleased that she became a regular contributing writer. Soon she was spending a lot of time in London and with this publisher by the name of Michael Gregson and eventually fell in love with him."

"Marigold was the result of that" Tom said as he pointed to the small headstone with the little angels on top. "Although we, that is the family, didn't know of that until quite some time later."

Seeing the perplexed looks on their faces Tom quickly went on with his story. "You know how hard it is now if a woman finds herself with child and no husband" to which the girls nodded "well just imagine what it was like back in the 20's."

"This Gregson guy wouldn't marry Edith?" Aine solemnly asked.

"It wasn't that he wouldn't but rather that he couldn't" Tom replied. "He had gone to Germany, to look at King Ludwig's castles Edith had said, and simply vanished."

Both girls gasped.

He had repeated the story Edith had told the family which they later came to know wasn't quite the truth. But he didn't think the girls or Artie needed to know that Gregson was married, something the family only found out after his death when gossip finally reached the ears of Robert and Cora, the trip was not to sightsee but to obtain a divorce a reluctant Edith had finally admitted.

"So what did she do?" Ciara asked.

"The only one she confided in was her Aunt Rosamund, Robert's sister, who concocted a story about wanting to go to Switzerland to learn French and taking Edith with her. They were gone seven … eight … months, I'm not really sure how long but it was quite a while."

"And they returned with a baby that Rosamund claimed was hers?" Aine remarked.

"Or that Rosamund had decided to adopt?" chimed in Ciara.

Tom shook his head. "No. They left the baby in Switzerland where she was adopted by a Swiss family."

"But how did Marigold end up here?" Artie asked as he pointed to the grave.

Tom looked at the faces of Aine, Ciara, and Artie and saw their eyes seemed to be glued in the direction of the headstone. He was surprised at their interest in this story.

 _Over the noise of the girls, Tom wasn't sure if he had heard a knock on the front door. But then it came again, yes someone was lightly knocking on the door of the Estate Agent's house._

 _Opening the door he was surprised to find Edith standing there. Since her return from Switzerland just over a month ago, he had only seen her a couple of times and it had always been at the Abbey. As he stood there looking at his sister-in-law he wondered once again how someone who had just spent months supposedly wandering lazily through Switzerland could look so pale and tired for there was no mistaking the dark circles around her eyes._

 _For her part, Edith stood there with her mouth slightly agape as if she had knocked on the door of a house without knowing who lived there and was surprised by who had answered the door. But if Tom could have read her mind he would have realized it was the sight of her eight month old niece who was firmly held in her father's arms that caused Edith to gasp._

" _Edith" Tom exclaimed warmly. "What a welcome surprise." He leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek and then pulled the door back and moved slightly to the side "Come in … come in."_

 _She walked through the door and into the large foyer of the house, her eyes darting around the room looking anywhere but at the baby in her father's arms. The aroma of freshly baked bread wafted from the kitchen in the back of the house and she could hear muffled voices. Of course her sister would be in the kitchen working with Aoife by her side and she pictured in her mind the lovely sight of a mother and daughter._

" _Sybil isn't here" Tom said his voice waking Edith from her daydream. "She's at college."_

" _Oh!" Edith responded as Tom looked at her expectedly for he had no idea why Edith was here but she didn't seem to be forthcoming with any reason for her visit as she stood there looking down the hallway towards the kitchen._

" _Would you like a cup of tea?" Tom finally asked hoping to get some conversation going._

" _I was just out for a walk" Edith finally remarked._

 _He smiled at her "got into the habit did you while you were in Switzerland?"_

 _Edith suddenly turned to look at Tom, her face a look of puzzlement at his words. Sounding defensive she snapped "what do you mean by that?"_

 _Tom was taken aback by the tone of her voice and the look on her face and he became even more curious as to why Edith was here._

" _I only meant …" he began as he shifted little Roisin from one arm to the other "I thought you spent a lot of time walking on your trip."_

 _Before Edith could reply there was a loud knock on the door and she jumped at the sound. Tom glanced out the window and saw Matthew's car pulling away._

 _He called out "Aoife your Grandfather is here" before opening the door to his father-in-law. He had no sooner opened the door than little Aoife came running into the hall shouting "Donk Donk" and she threw herself into the arms of her kneeling grandfather._

 _Gathering Aoife in his arms, Robert asked his eldest grandchild if she was ready for their walk. Enthusiastically bobbing her head up and down Aoife asked "do you think we can stop at the candy shop?" causing Robert to laugh._

 _Tom however wasn't looking at his daughter and Robert but rather at Edith who stood there staring intently at her father and her niece and he thought he detected faint tears in her eyes._

" _We'll be …" Robert started but stopped when he finally took notice of Edith standing by Tom. "Edith" he called in surprise._

" _I was just out for a walk" she uttered._

 _Robert, smiling as he looked at his oldest grandchild, asked "Would you like to join Aoife and me? We're going to the village."_

" _No" she replied. "I've been gone quite a while. I'll just head back to the house."_

 _Robert nodded before turning to Aoife. Smiling broadly he said. "I guess we better get going" to which the girl enthusiastically nodded her head before darting off towards the front gate._

 _Tom and Edith watched as the large man and the very small girl set off for the village. Aoife as she always did ran ahead of her grandfather but something caught her eye and she stopped to stare at the ground, they couldn't make out what she was saying to her grandfather as she pointed to something on the ground._

" _Edith is there anything wrong?" Tom quietly asked._

" _Why would you ask that?"_

" _You just seem … well … you seem to have something on your mind."_

" _I'm fine Tom" she hastily replied before adding "but thank you for asking."_

 _They were still standing on the small covered front porch although Robert and Aoife were barely visible now._

" _She looks and acts so much like Sybil did at that age."_

" _She's certainly a handful" Tom chuckled. "I'm actually glad when your father takes her for an hour or so."_

" _Papa always had time for Sybil." The resentment was clear in Edith's voice. "And now with her daughter he's …" she stopped talking as she choked back tears._

" _Edith" Tom gently touched her arm. "Please tell me what's wrong."_

 _Edith straightened herself up and took a deep breath. "Guess I'm just feeling a bit sorry for myself today."_

 _She looked at Tom and offered a faint smile. Reaching out her hand she patted Roisin on the head._

Tom decided he would gloss over much of the rest of the story. He didn't want to rehash Edith's actions with the Drewes since that left a particularly sour taste in his mouth and he didn't think it reflected well on Edith. But he was also a bit embarrassed on his and Sybil's lack of involvement with Edith at that time.

This had also been a very busy time in their lives what with Sybil attending nursing college and then her pregnancy with Roisin while trying to take care of Aoife and finish her college courses. They hadn't been there for Edith at a time when she could have used them.

"Edith found she couldn't live without Marigold in her life. She brought her here to live with a tenant farmer's family and then eventually brought her to the Abbey as a ward of the family."

"In the meantime, it was determined that Gregson had been murdered in Germany. In his will, he left his London flat and the magazine to Edith. So for years Edith went back and forth to London but Marigold stayed here at Downton."

"Over a period of time, each in their own way, all of the family eventually found out the Marigold was actually Edith's child. It was really quite odd, everyone knew the secret but no one spoke out loud of it. Edith never publically acknowledged Marigold as her daughter and Marigold didn't know Edith was her mother."

"Edith was on one of her trips to London when Marigold became ill. It seemed to be just a typical cold but it soon became apparent that it was much more serious. By the time someone contacted Edith, it was too late and Marigold died before Edith got back to Downton."

"Oh how awful!" exclaimed Aine.

Tom then related the rest of the story. Edith blamed herself for not being there, then she blamed the family for not contacting her sooner. She began sleeping in Marigold's room and would only leave it to visit Marigold's grave where she'd sit for hours. Regardless of the weather, even in the rain, she'd sit there at the graveside.

She wouldn't accept any help from her family. Sybil had visited and begged her to come back to Ireland with her but Edith refused.

One morning Edith was found sitting in a chair in Marigold's bedroom. In her hands she was clutching several photographs of Marigold and a photograph of Michael Gregson lay on the floor. Two months after Marigold died, Edith was also dead.


	16. Chapter 16

When Tom finished telling his story of Edith there was an overwhelming quietness in the cemetery. The light breeze that had been blowing off and on had suddenly stopped ending the faint rustling of leaves from the trees that dotted the cemetery, there were no sounds from the occasional lorries which nosily passed the cemetery's outer wall or even pedestrians walking by. The four figures standing before the graves of Edith and her daughter Marigold were just as still with their eyes staring straight ahead and each pondering the story Tom had just told.

It was Artie that finally broke the silence. "Thanks for sharing that story Uncle Tom. I think the next time I bring flowers to Grandpapa's grave I'll leave some here too."

"That would be lovely" Ciara responded as she patted Artie's shoulder.

Looking at his watch Artie was surprised how much time had passed since they had left the Grantham Arms. "I need to get back to work."

"We'll walk back with you" Aine spoke up.

The three young ones turned to leave but Tom remained in place still staring at the graves. "Aren't you coming with us Grand Da?" Aine asked.

"I think I might sit here a bit" Tom wearily replied. "I'll be back at the house in time for tea."

With the three younger ones walking off, Tom slowly walked over to the bench that Mary had placed near Matthew's grave. It wasn't just the sorrow he felt as related Edith's story that made him suddenly feel drained but also the sudden flashes he had of his son Aedan as he had told Edith's story.

His wonderful Aedan, with his quick wit and almost constant smile, the one that had all the best of Sybil and himself and seemingly none of their worst traits. In just a few weeks it would be 21 years since he had buried his younger son. A life cut short in a stupid boating accident. Twenty-one years … he had now been dead more years than he lived on this earth.

It wasn't that he didn't ever think about Aedan for he did. Whenever he looked at his grandsons Billy or Oisin he'd think how much they looked like the uncle they had never known. He still had a box of Aedan's belongings, his favorite cap, the dog-eared copy of his favorite book, a few comic books, other bits and bobs that Aedan had treasured. He remembered putting in Aedan's acceptance letter from Trinity University as well as his certificate of school graduation in there after Aedan's death. There was another box of things that Sybil had saved as she did with all her children, items such as cards they had made, drawings they'd done, report cards from school, their first booties, all sorts of mementos of a childhood.

He hadn't known the pain of losing a child when Edith's Marigold died. Would it have made any difference in how he had acted if he had he wondered. But unlike Edith he had had Sybil to share that pain with. And of course they had Aoife, Roisin, Eamon and Aibrean, not that one child could ever substitute for another but it did mean he wasn't alone.

Tom had only been sitting there for a few seconds when he felt someone sit down beside him and rest their arm on top of his, gently patting his hand. Looking over he saw that it was Ciara.

She smiled at her grandfather before looking out across the graveyard. "It's amazing how there can be this whole side of your family that you really don't know anything about. I mean I could probably spend a whole day here looking at the headstones of my Crawley ancestors."

"Being here makes me aware that I'm half English … well I guess it's my mum that's half English. But I don't see it in her or even Grand Ma despite the accent, I always think of them as totally Irish."

Tom chuckled "I think your Grand Ma would like."

Looking back towards the graves of Edith and Marigold, Ciara softly stated "It's terribly sad about Aunt Edith and Marigold."

"Aye it is" Tom agreed. He too glanced back at their graves. "She could have done so much. She was smart and well-read. She had the magazine and a London flat. She …" he slowly shook his head. He started to say she had wasted it all but stopped when he realized he had no right to judge her.

"She should have taken Marigold and gone to live in London" Ciara declared.

Tom sighed. "It might not have been that easy. Not for those times. She would have lost her place in society, no longer be accepted in the finest houses or invited to dinners or parties. I don't think she was ready to live a life as an outcast."

"If word had gotten out that Marigold was her daughter well …" he paused as he looked at Ciara. "Even the villagers here would have looked at her differently. It would probably have affected her magazine too. That might have lost her readers. Women wouldn't think she was a good role model."

"Maybe they could have come to Ireland or what about going to live with her grandmother in New York. No one would know her past."

"Live with Martha!" Tom laughed. "While that's something that I could see Sybil doing I can't picture Edith or Mary for that matter doing that. No they were very very English and Martha was very … well let's just say she was quite a character."

 _It was a fine early September day in Yorkshire with a cloudless sky and the sun shining brightly but a gentle breeze ensuring the temperature wasn't too warm. Looking out at the peaceful countryside as Tom drove along the road past Ripon, he thought there was no outward sign that England was now at war for people seemed to be going about their normal daily lives. It was so hard to reconcile the atrocities he read in the newspaper of events on the continent with this bucolic English countryside._

 _But then what changes did he imagine he'd see? Men in uniforms marching along the roads? He had driven his lordship to a couple of meetings of his old military unit in York but he had no idea what had been discussed or planned there. In the servants hall there was talk among some of the younger staff about enlisting in the army but so far only Thomas had done so._

 _For the women of the family, as far as he could see life hadn't changed. He still brought old lady Grantham and Mrs. Crawley to dinner most evenings. He still drove Lady Grantham and her daughters on their shopping trips wondering as he waited outside the shops for the ladies just how many new gowns did they need? Would there still be balls and dinners to attend?_

 _Today he was driving old lady Grantham and Mrs. Crawley to the house of a friend of the Dowager's for luncheon. It was unusual for the Dowager to take Mrs. Crawley to such a luncheon but certainly the war had no bearing on that._

 _Tom was only half listening to the conversation between the two women for his thoughts kept wandering to Lady Sybil and the garden party which had been just over a month ago, the scent of lilac in her hair as he had whispered the news of Gwen's job into her ear, the feel of her gloved hand in his. "I don't suppose …" He was still miffed that it was just at that moment that Mrs. Hughes had made her displeasure known._

" _Cora must be upset that her mother won't be coming to England after all" his ears perked up at hearing Isabel make this comment since just two days ago Sybil was talking to him about how much she looked forward to seeing her American grandmother._

" _Well that's one good thing that's come about because of this war!" the Dowager proclaimed._

" _Oh surely you don't mean that"_

" _You've never met the woman, I have."_

" _Cora seems such a kind gentle sort, I can't imagine …"_

 _Violet interrupted her friend. "That's just it … you can't imagine how awful the woman is." Looking at old lady Gratham through the rear view mirror Tom wanted to chuckle seeing the look on her face clearly matching the disdain in her voice._

"Martha was so different from the Crawleys. I remember Sybil talking about how the Dowager and Mary and Edith groused about what they considered to be Martha's loudness and brassiness but Sybil liked that her grandmother was unconventional. Unlike the Crawleys and their social set, Martha was feisty and spoke her mind although I'm not sure how that was different from the Dowager."

"But I guess what really set her apart was that she wasn't bound to centuries of tradition. No I don't think Edith would have liked living with Martha.

 _Tom had taken refuge in the library. Sybil was upstairs in their bedroom resting, the last couple of days had been a bit more tiring than she first imagined, and so he had sought out the one room in the house where he felt comfortable. Robert had announced at luncheon that he was walking into the village afterwards so Tom knew he had an hour or so to visit the library free from any worry of meeting his father-in-law._

 _He was just shelving the book he had borrowed when he heard the door open. Hoping that it would just be Carson making sure everything was alright, he didn't bother turning around to see the intruder._

" _So there is someone in this house who actually reads one of these books" the American voice bellowed._

 _He turned in surprise at the voice of Sybil's grandmother. He would have thought she'd be with Cora and Mary doing some last minute wedding stuff._

" _I always thought this room was just for show!" the clearly amused Martha Levinson continued._

" _It's a wonderful library" Tom replied sincerely. His eyes wandering around the room and the sight of so many books. "I don't envy much but I do envy his lordship this library."_

" _So my granddaughter didn't run away with you just for your good looks."_

 _Tom could feel his face turning red, he wasn't used to the people in this house speaking so frankly._

 _Martha settled herself onto one of the red sofas and motioned for him to join her. "Sybil speaks so proudly of your becoming a journalist. She's even sent me a couple of your articles."_

" _Really?" Tom was surprised, not that Sybil was proud of him but that she had sent some of his work to her grandmother._

" _I was quite curious about this chauffeur turned journalist who had captured the heart of my lovely granddaughter and whisked her off to Ireland."_

 _Tom sat stiffly on the sofa opposite Martha. Despite Cora's efforts, Tom sill felt uncomfortable in the presence of the family. Although from what he had seen and heard, no one outside of Cora or Sybil really thought of Martha as part of the family._

 _Martha sensed Tom's unease. "If this lot had their way things would never change. Even a world war can't seem to make them realize their world has changed. These old estates … I can't imagine in five or ten years there will be many of them left."_

 _Martha looked at the shelves of many books. "They should be in a library where the public can enjoy them instead of here where they sit untouched and unread … except by the occasional wild Irishman." She smiled pleasantly at Tom._

" _That would be a grand idea" Tom replied._

" _So do you think you Irish will accomplish what we did?"_

" _Aye I do. It might take longer since we don't have the advantage of being an ocean away but I do think we will achieve our freedom."_

" _Just keep my granddaughter safe Tom."_

Tom and Ciara sat there, her arm still resting on his, in silence. For the first time since they had come to Downton Ciara thought her grandfather seemed tired and weary. Until today the memories he had shared with her and Aine had been pleasant ones and she wasn't sure if it was the sadness of Edith's story that caused this sudden change or maybe it was just being in a cemetery surrounded by so many he had known and lived with for years or that he picturing Grand Ma's grave back in Ireland.

Ciara finally broke the silence. "I miss not having Grand Ma to talk to. It always seemed a bit easier to talk to her than mum."

Tom looked with concern at his granddaughter. After having just told her the story of an unwed mother he suddenly wondered, no maybe feared, just what Ciara might want to talk about.

Ciara knew her grandfather well enough to know his sudden look of concern.

She laughed. "Oh Grand Da I don't mean I have anything big to talk about. Certainly nothing like Edith."

The tension left Tom's body just as quickly as it had appeared. "I just meant" Ciara shrugged her shoulders "you know just normal girl talk."

Tom wrapped his arm around Ciara's shoulder. "You could talk to your Aunt Aibrean. She's …"

Ciara pulled away "that's a great idea. Aunt Aibrean is much younger than mum. She's much more … with it."

Tom laughed although it was true that Aibrean was so much younger than her sister. Actually she was much younger than all of her siblings. It had come as a shock to Sybil and Tom when Aedan was eight years old and Sybil discovered she was pregnant. They had certainly thought those days were over.

He recalled how embarrassed the seventeen year old Aoife had been when her friends came over and saw a pregnant Sybil. Aoife graduated from university before Aibrean even started school.

"I'm sure Aibrean would like to know she's considered "with it" Tom stated lightheartedly, his eyes gleaming with amusement "but I wouldn't tell your mum that."

Ciara joined her grandfather in laughing, nestling her head on his shoulder. Tom tousled her hair like he had done when she was little.

It was but a moment later when Ciara changed the subject once again. Nodding towards Matthew's grave which they were sitting directly in front of she remarked. "You really liked him … Matthew that is."

"I did very much. He was a very good man and he certainly brought out the best in Mary."

"I know Artie liked the stories you told us over lunch."

Tom turned a bit more serious. "I didn't really know him when I was here as the chauffeur. He didn't chat with me like his mother did when I drove him around. In fact I think he was rather embarrassed having a chauffeur."

"It wasn't till I worked with him on the Estate that we became friends. He wasn't encumbered with the past like Robert was. If not for him, Downton would have gone the way of so many of the grand estates."

" _You don't mind working out here?" Matthew asked as he entered Tom's office. When Jarvis had been the Estate Agent, and probably even the agent before him, this room tucked away in a far corner of the stable blocks had been his office. "I'm sure we could find a room in the house for you."_

 _Tom looked around the oversized room. He had never had his own office before that is if one didn't count the garage as an office. When he had worked at the Dublin newspaper he had a tiny desk sat in a cramped room filled with five other desks giving no one any privacy or even quietness in which to work._

 _Now he found himself working in this large room, larger even than the garage, lavishly furnished with two desks, he guessed Jarvis had at one time employed an assistant, three bookcases, a tall glass fronted cabinet as well a second all wooden cabinet, and a table with four chairs that sat in the middle of the room. Yet even with all that furniture the room did not feel cramped._

 _There was even a small sink with a low cabinet next to it that held a hot plate so Tom could make tea. The cabinet contained cups and saucers as well as tins of tea and sugar and of course one of biscuits for when Sybil would come here with Aoife._

 _He had moved his desk so that it sat angled in a corner with one of the room's two large windows facing the side of it. He could sit in his comfy desk chair and look out the window which had a view of one of the gardens._

 _Tom shook his head. "I actually enjoy having this space. It's far enough away from the house that I can work in peace and quiet."_

 _Matthew chuckled. "You mean it's far enough away from Robert that he doesn't know what you're doing."_

" _I look at that as a bonus" Tom replied causing Matthew to laugh._

" _But in all seriousness Matthew there's all the estate books here. And I find this map" pointing to the oversized map of the estate which took up half of one wall and was extremely detailed as to the buildings, roads, paths, lakes, woods and fields of the estate "extremely useful."_

" _Plus" he continued "I think the tenants or tradesman or salesman are more relaxed meeting here than in the big house."_

 _Matthew nodded as he looked at the map. "We've made a lot of progress on putting the estate back on a successful track."_

 _Smiling he turned to face Tom. "You've made a real difference Tom. For the past three months we've actually made money and that's before we start this month's harvest which I think will be our best in years. I think I owe much of that success to you."_

 _Tom walked over to one of the cabinets and opened the bottom drawer. He pulled out a bottle of fine Irish whiskey that his brother had sent to him. Tom thought it much better than any whiskey Robert kept._

 _He filled two of the glasses that set on a tray on top of the cabinet along with a decanter filled with brandy. Apparently Jarvis had been keen on brandy since in addition to the half-filled decanter Tom had found another unopened bottle in the cabinet._

" _I think this calls for a toast" he said as he handed Matthew one of the glasses of whiskey._

 _Matthew raised his eyebrow. "Am I hearing you right? You the Irish socialist want to toast the success of an English estate?"_

 _The sudden look of discomfort on Tom's face made Matthew regret the remarks he had uttered in jest. "I'm sorry Tom I didn't mean …"_

 _Tom waved his hand in the air as if to dismiss Matthew's concerns. He somberly replied "I'll drink for the success of saving jobs, of creating new jobs, of our partnership Matthew."_

 _Matthew smiled "I think those things are worth toasting."_

" _May the rocks in your field turn to gold" Tom lightheartedly offered before each took a sip of their drink._

 _Matthew shuddered a bit as the dark amber liquid ran down his throat. "Have you been raiding Robert's liquor cabinet?"_

 _Tom groaned as he touched his hand to his heart. "I'll have you know that's a fine Irish whiskey. Much better than anything his lordship has or has probably tasted."_

 _Matthew laughed before taking another sip. "Maybe you should buy him a bottle for Christmas or his birthday."_

" _I'll not waste good whiskey" Tom quipped causing Matthew to laugh._

 _With their glasses empty Tom proceeded to fill them again. Clinking his glass to Matthew's he toasted once again "May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall soft upon your fields."_

 _Matthew chuckled before taking another sip. He had never been much of a drinker other than of wine but he thought he could get use to this. "Do you have enough toasts to last for the entire bottle?"_

 _A broad grin broke out on Tom's face. It was in moments like this that Matthew could see how Sybil had fallen for the Irishman. In the short time they had been working together Matthew had been impressed with Tom's work ethic and his ability to grasp issues and determine solutions and he did always seem to have the interest of the estate's workers in mind. They worked well together maybe because they had both been thrown into a situation that neither had been prepared for but were determined to succeed._

" _I'm Irish" Tom laughed. "Believe me I have a million of them."_

" _I'm not sure how successful we'll be if we spend an afternoon drinking" Matthew stated between sips._

" _Don't worry. That's the last glass today. Something this good we need to ration."_

 _Just then the office door unexpectedly opened causing Matthew to wonder, for just a moment, who would possibly be visiting the Estate Agent's office especially this late in the afternoon._

 _He smiled as he saw it was his sister-in-law entering the room, carrying a small cloth covered basket in one hand and holding Aoife close against her chest with the other arm. "Tom I thought you could …" she stopped as she realized her husband wasn't alone._

 _At the sound of his wife's voice Tom's face lit up. Standing up, his arms outstretched, he began "Ah me darlin" his voice thick in a brogue. "If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk through my garden forever."_

 _Matthew shook his head as he looked back and forth from Tom to Sybil before finally resting his eyes on Tom. "You really do have a million of them" he laughed._

A/N: Obviously I've been researching Irish toasts this week, I'll not say if I've been using them for anything other than this story.


	17. Chapter 17

Ciara had never really thought of her grandparents as being old; in fact if she had been asked to describe them the first word that came to her mind was vibrant. Maybe that's why her grandmother's death had been so shocking because she had been her usual active and engaged self with no hint of anything amiss.

Ciara hadn't walked far with Aine and Arte when she had glanced back at her grandfather sitting alone on the bench in front of Matthew Crawley's grave and was struck by how drained he looked. It wasn't that physical tiredness that he had displayed their last night in London which could easily be explained by the miles they had walked those past two or three days nor was it like the despondency that had taken over him in the weeks after her grandmother's sudden death.

But whatever it was had made her change her mind and return to sit with him. As they had talked about Martha and her mum and Aunt Aibrean and Matthew Crawley, Ciara noticed that the glumness she had earlier detected in her grandfather had disappeared much to her relief.

"I know so little about the Crawleys and yet they are a part of my history. Mum talks about her grandfather Robert and of course there's that picture of them she keeps on the mantle in the front room."

"No matter what he thought of me, Robert loved Aoife. I'm sure he loved all his grandchildren but Aoife seemed special to him. Cora used to say it was because she reminded him so much of Sybil as a little girl."

 _For the first time that afternoon Tom was a little bit uncomfortable for now it was just him and Robert sitting at the table that had been set up in the garden. Cora, wanting to take advantage of the glorious weather, had insisted on a family picnic for luncheon. It was a wonderful day for being outdoors, so many of the flowers and bushes were still in bloom and the air held that sweet scent of roses. There wouldn't be too many more days like this before the air turned cool and the flowers faded._

 _From where they sat they could see Cora and Sybil with Aoife and little George at the far end of the garden. The two women seemed deep in conversation while Aoife ran around them stopping to smell a flower or rose before rushing to the next plant. George, who was still mastering the art of walking, tried keeping up with his older cousin but found himself more often sitting on the lush lawn. Finally giving in he sat there appearing to be fascinated by his shoes. His parents had walked towards another part of the garden and could only be seen in the distance slowing strolling while holding hands._

 _Tom found the silence between him and Robert awkward and he finally broke the discomfort he knew both were feeling. "It's amazing how much energy she has."_

 _Robert knew immediately he was talking about little Aoife and chuckled before replying. "She's so like her mother in that way. It was something I wasn't prepared for. Mary and Edith always seemed to walk in a straight line but Sybil was all over the place. Oh papa look at this bug or this flower she'd say."_

 _Robert's gaze fell on his youngest daughter. "She was a delightful child. So full of curiosity about everything around her."_

 _Robert turned to face Tom. "I see that in Aoife. She's always asking me what's that or how does that work. I must confess I'm often stumped. Yesterday she asked me why some of the roses were red and some were yellow and that was after asking me where does the sun go at night."_

" _And how did you reply?"_

" _Candy" Robert stated emphatically. Tom crinkled his brows in puzzlement._

" _I've learned to always have some candy or biscuits in my pockets. I give her one and that seems to distract her."_

 _Robert's answer was so unexpected that Tom heartily laughed. "Maybe I should borrow your technique."_

 _Just then Aoife came funning up to where Tom and Robert were sitting. "Grandpa … Grandpa" she cried breathlessly. "Do you think we could go look at the ponies?"_

 _Robert looked at Tom who nodded in response. "Of course my dear." But Aoife had barely heard those words when she smiled broadly and then darted off in the direction of the barns._

 _It took Robert six long strides to catch up with his granddaughter. Tom couldn't hear what he said but Aoife looked up at her grandfather and laughed. She then reached out her little hand and took his much bigger one._

 _For just a moment Tom imagined that it was another little girl's hand that Robert held as he watched the pair walk off._

"I wish I had asked Grand Ma about some of these things" Ciara stated.

Tom turned to face Ciara, a puzzled look on his face.

"I mean about her and her family and Downton."

"Oh" Tom murmured softly. He turned his gaze once again out over the cemetery. "She loved them very much. She once told me that's why she took so long to accept my proposal, it wasn't because she didn't love me but that she needed to be sure she could leave her family and that way of life."

"That's just it" Ciara stated. "When did she fall in love with you? How did she know it was love and not just a passing fancy or attraction?

 _He was working under the motor car when he heard footsteps. He knew before she spoke that it was Sybil as he was now attuned to the sound of her footsteps although that wasn't really hard since the only other people who visited the garage were one of the hall boys and on the rare occasion Daisy when they came bearing messages from Mr. Carson or Mrs. Hughes never for conversation._

 _As he pulled himself out from under the car she said "I wish I knew how an engine worked."_

" _I could teach you if you want."_

" _No that's Edith territory. I …" He was now standing before her, wiping his hands on the clean cloth that he always kept near him when working on the cars._

 _It wasn't until he saw her eyes widen that he realized he was shirtless. Strangely he wasn't embarrassed but he did quickly find his shirt and put it on. "I wasn't expecting company today."_

" _It's too warm for my coveralls today" he snickered while her face turned crimson as she realized he knew she had been staring at his chest._

" _Is there something you wanted?" he asked, the words out of his mouth before he realized how suggestive they sounded considering his state of dress._

" _What … what … I …well …" Tom chuckled at an obviously flustered Sybil._

 _Since she now was working as a nurse, he knew the male body was no longer unknown or unseen by her so he interpreted her blushing to the fact that it was_ _ **his**_ _body she was seeing and to his way of thinking that meant she was interested in him._

" _Well?" he asked, his eyes boring into hers until she turned her head away._

 _When she looked at him again she had morphed back into Lady Sybil, her emotions hidden behind that wall of impassiveness that all of her kind so easily displayed. "I just needed a break from my work and was walking by the garage."_

" _So you thought you'd just pop in to say hello" he rushed to finish her sentence._

 _She rolled her eyes. "Sometimes you're just so incorrigible Branson."_

 _Tom let out a deep laugh. "Well you now have something in common with my mother. I can't count the number of times she has said that to me."_

" _Your mother sounds like a very wise woman" Sybil retorted._

" _She is." Tom could use many words to describe his mother and wise would definitely be one of them._

" _Tell me about her." Sybil had settled onto the work bench._

 _Tom chuckled. "You must be bored if you want to hear about my mother."_

 _Sybil rolled her eyes. "You know my family. I think it's just fair that I know a bit about yours."_

 _Tom's heart fluttered at her words. Would she want to know about his family if she wasn't interested in him?_

" _Well …" she tapped her foot._

 _He sat down on the stool he had brought from the one of the myriad of rooms that composed the downstairs of the Abbey. Once he had realized Sybil would be frequenting the garage he had found he needed a place to sit._

" _My mother is from a small seaside town called Wicklow just south of Dublin" Tom began. "When she met my father …"_

"I'm curious not just about you and her but about her. What made her reject what she had grown up with. Sometimes during the past few days I think how lovely it is having a maid and a cook but it's because it's strange to me, it's not what I'm used to and a nice change of pace. But for Grand Ma that was her early life. That grand house and all that came with it."

Ciara continued "it was such a different lifestyle than what she had in Dublin. Yet she never seemed to ... never did I ever hear her say ..." Ciara wasn't sure how to express what she was thinking. "How and why was she able to leave all that behind?"

 _It was a typical summer evening with the temperature pleasantly warm. In front of the Downton Cottage Hospital, Tom was standing by the motor car waiting for Sybil to emerge. Although properly dressed in his chauffeur's uniform, he was not so properly leaning against the vehicle, a newspaper in his hand but with the sun beginning to recede it was almost impossible to read. He kept glancing from his paper to the hospital's door. Two nurses emerged and Tom nodded at them. Since he was a familiar figure to the hospital staff, the nurses smiled back at him._

 _As he watched the two nurses walk by, Tom thought how easily Sybil had become one of them. It wasn't just that she now preferred to be called Nurse Crawley rather than Lady Sybil but also how whole heartedly she had thrown herself into that work. She worked long and demanding hours without complaint and rarely took her allotted time off. She volunteered for work that was beyond the usual tasks of those like her and had even begun to participate in surgeries._

 _It was also how animated she was when she spoke to him of her work. He had only seen her like that when she spoke of her childhood activities that she did despite the displeasure of her family or when the two of them engaged in conversations over books or politics or when they played darts or dominoes or cards in the garage. It was at those times that even he forgot she was Lady Sybil._

" _Branson would you mind not driving me straight back to the house?" He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't seen her approach the motor car._

 _Straightening up, ensuring his hat was on properly, he looked at her and smiled. "Of course not milady."_

 _At the word milady Sybil rolled her eyes. It had now become a joke between them. Even that has changed Tom thought. Once she would have expected him to call her milady, that was the conventional thing to do, but their relationship was now beyond that._

" _And just where would you like me to drive you?"_

 _She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "It's been a hard day Branson. I'd just like to take advantage of the evening and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors."_

 _His hand lingered on hers as he helped her into the motor car and she gently squeezed his hand. He inwardly chuckled thinking that they had begun doing this when she was accompanied by her mother or sisters. At those times she couldn't speak to him like she did now so she'd squeeze his hand or he hers as their silent nod to each other._

 _She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. It must have been a hard day Tom thought as he drove her to a spot on the estate where they could watch the sunset. Those days of exploring the estate on his half days off had almost vanished since Downton had become a convalescent home as Tom pitched in and helped out at either the house or the hospital. Yet every now and then he, usually with Sybil, would take a break and spend a few hours away from the garage, away from prying eyes, away from the war._

 _Tom finally stopped the car. Turning around to look at her he realized she had fallen asleep and Tom wondered if he should just let her sleep but the issue became moot when she woke up. Looking out the passenger window her face lit up as she saw the brilliant colors in the sky from the fading sun._

" _Oh Tom it's so beautiful" she exclaimed as she opened her door and jumped out. A not quite lady like behavior Tom thought._

 _But Tom had a surprise for her. He knew he would miss his dinner in the servants hall since he was obligated to pick Sybil up at the hospital and often he had to wait for her. He had cajoled Daisy into fixing him a basket he could take with him and so now as he and Sybil sat watching the sun finally set they shared his dinner._

" _I love times like this" Sybil began. "It reminds me of the good in the world. The beauty of the sky and the land. The pleasures of eating a sandwich watching the sun set. The pleasure of just being outdoors."_

" _You're a free spirit Sybil Crawley" Tom proclaimed._

 _Sybil's eyes sparkled. "Do you really think so?"_

" _Aye" Tom laughed. "Do you think you sister Mary would enjoy this?"_

 _Before she could respond Tom continued "I've known since I first met you that you were different … not bound by convention … independent."_

 _Sybil beamed as Tom spoke. "You really think so?"_

" _I think you can do whatever you want in life. You won't be held back by tradition or obligations or convention."_

They had sat in the cemetery talking for so long that Tom and Ciara missed tea. Yet neither would have shorten that time together even for the rich pastries and delicious sandwiches that always graced the Downton tea table.

Howard had finally returned from his business trip and greeted Tom with the friendliness of a long time relationship when they met in the pre-dinner cocktail ritual in the drawing room.

"It's wonderful to see you Tom" Howard called out from across the room when Tom walked into drawing room. He set the bottle he had been opening back on the tray and strode over to Tom, his hand outstretched for a friendly handshake.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here when you arrived but had some business meetings I just couldn't change" Howard continued as he gave Tom a hardy pat on the back while still holding the handshake.

Tom smiled at the big affable Englishman. Whenever he saw Howard he marveled at how different the man was from Matthew. While he would describe both men as fine fellows and enjoyed the company of both men, Matthew had been much more serious and reserved than Howard. But it was in looks where the two men so differed. Howard towered over Tom and while he couldn't be described as fat he was big-boned and certainly carried a few extra pounds. His eyes and hair were as dark as Mary's although like hers the hair was now streaked with gray.

"I'm surprised you're still working so hard" Tom responded. He and Sybil had planned on attending Howard's 80th birthday party that Mary threw for him last fall but then of course those plans changed with Sybil's death.

"It's what keeps me young" Howard guffawed. "I'm still not one for just sitting around but I'll admit I am moving a bit slower."

Tom joined Howard in laughing. "I know what you mean."

"So seriously Tom" Howard abruptly changed his demeanor "how are you doing?"

"It's been hard … I won't deny it" Tom replied somberly.

Before he could continue Aine and Ciara made their way into the drawing room and paused just inside the room behind Howard and their grandfather.

"And these beauties are obviously your granddaughters" Howard boomed as he strolled over to the girls.

Looking at Ciara, Howard stated "It's nice to see you again Ciara." Ciara smiled warmly as the big man kissed her cheek. She remembered him from her grandmother's funeral and his take charge attitude that had so helped everything run smoothly.

Then looking at Aine, Howard said "I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting you."

"I'm Aine."

"Oh the American one" Howard replied as he kissed her on the cheek.

"Actually I do remember you. But you were only about ten maybe when you came to Downton with your family. Your father was a pilot stationed at Mildenhall as I recall."

"I was twelve actually but I can't believe you remember that."

Now it was Howard's turn to laugh. "Of course I remember. I don't think Downton has ever been so …" he paused as he searched for the right word "lively shall we say."

Even Mary who had now joined the group laughed. "I think that's a rather mild description dear."

"Mary" Tom joined in "do you forget when Sybil and I would come here on visits with the children?"

Mary looked at Tom as if she was pondering what he had said before breaking out in laughter. "I guess whenever the Branson clan came here whether it be with children or with grandchildren it was wild."

"Well … whatever … it was just such fun" Howard replied. "I'm only sorry it's taken you both eight years to get back here." The warmth in his voice pleased Tom and delighted Aine and Ciara.

"It was certainly more fun than my first visit to Downton" Howard stated wistfully.

"When did you first come here?" Artie asked.

"Well it was about 1910? Does that sound right Mary?"

"Around then … maybe a year or two before … it was a year or two before Patrick died" Mary responded.

"Patrick" Artie said the name as if he was trying to remember. "Isn't he the one that died on the Titanic?"

Mary nodded. "He was Papa's heir … well actually his father James was the heir but they both died on the Titanic."

"Wow!" Aine exclaimed. "To think you knew someone who was actually on that ship."

As the conversation went on around her, Mary withdrew into herself. She hadn't thought about Patrick or the Titanic in so long. Suddenly the conversation stopped and Mary became aware that everyone was looking at her.

"I know it was such a horrible event … so many people killed" Mary started, a slight quiver in her voice which to all her knew her seemed uncharacteristic "but if … if it hadn't been for the Titanic" she looked at her son Arthur "everything would have been so different. Matthew Crawley would never have come into our lives … you wouldn't be here."

"You might have met him under different circumstances" Artie volunteered.

Mary shook her head. "I doubt it. We only found out about him because the lawyers searched for the next heir. He was a middle class solicitor living in Manchester so we hardly mingled in the same social circles."

Mary took a sip of her cocktail trying to suppress the sudden emotions she was feeling. "Anyway I was supposed to marry Patrick."

 _Mary was sitting at her vanity table staring at her reflection in the table's mirror. She wasn't really interested in entertaining Patrick and his friends, her effort in assuring her hair and dress were perfect was more a matter of outshining Edith. Mary smirked at her reflection thinking that she could probably wear a sack and still outshine Edith._

 _Engrossed in her thoughts, Mary wasn't aware anyone had entered her bedroom until she saw the reflection of a dress behind her in the mirror._

 _She sighed heavily thinking that it was Edith so she was surprised when she turned around and saw that it was Sybil._

" _You look very pretty Mary" Sybil stated as she warmly smiled at her oldest sister before jumping up on Mary's bed. Wrapping her arm around one of the bed's four posts she continued "That color suits you. It highlights your hair and eyes."_

 _Amused at such talk from the twelve year old, especially one that never seemed interested in clothes or fashion, Mary couldn't resist asking "Since when have you become so knowledgeable or even interested in dress color?"_

" _I was just in Edith's room and she and Anna were discussing color"_

" _Oh and what color did Edith finally decide on?"_

" _A pale green called … "Sybil scrunched her face as she tried to recall exactly what Edith had said._

" _Peacock" Sybil nodded her head as if to emphasize what she had said. "It does look very pretty on her."_

" _So who is she trying to impress tonight?"_

 _Sybil shrugged her shoulders. "I think she just wants to look nice."_

" _Are you sure she didn't mention one of Patrick's friends?"_

 _But Sybil wasn't interested in betraying one sister's confidence to the other for her mind was on other things._

" _I still don't understand why I can't come to dinner tonight" the pout in Sybil's voice was unmistakable._

" _Darling you know when we have guests you have to be sixteen to …"_

" _But I'm tired of eating alone" Sybil whined. "Everyone gets to have such fun except me."_

" _I hardly call dining with Patrick fun and if his friends are like him …"_

" _Oh but they're not" Sybil was suddenly animated. "I talked to Howard and he seems quite nice."_

 _Now Mary was quite curious as to how and when Sybil had met this Howard. "And how did you meet Howard?"_

 _Sybil's face darkened as she realized she didn't want to tell Mary the truth. Although Mary usually kept her confidences Sybil knew that Mary wouldn't approve of her afternoon fishing adventure._

" _I met him out on the grounds. He was walking around the estate and got lost. Good thing he ran into me."_

 _Mary knew Sybil wasn't being totally honest with her but decided not to press for the truth. "Good thing or we might have had to send a search party out for him. So what did you talk about?"_

" _Oh this and that." Mary was quite surprised how evasive Sybil could be. She had better luck getting information out of Edith than she did Sybil._

" _You never sound like you love Patrick" Sybil once again changed the subject._

" _Well … I…" Mary was flustered as to how to answer this. She wasn't in love with Patrick but there was that understanding between their parents._

" _Mary, I think you should only marry someone if you love them." Looking at Sybil who was now sitting on the bed, her arms crossed in front of her, and sounding so adamant, Mary had to keep herself from chuckling. Sometimes like now she wished she was as young as her sister._

" _Oh if only it was that easy" Mary replied._

" _Seems easy to me."_

" _You know that one day Patrick will be the Earl of Grantham, that he'll have Downton, and I"_

" _That's another thing I don't understand" Sybil cut off Mary in midsentence. "Why should Patrick get Downton? It's our home not his."_

 _A faint smile crept onto Mary's face. Oh the darling doesn't really know how the world works Mary thought._

" _It's the law darling. The heir has to be a male."_

" _That's a stupid law. I think we need to change it."_

" _Oh Sybil" Mary shook her head. "How can we change the law? Women can't vote."_

" _Well that's another thing that needs to change. Why can't women vote?"_

 _Sybil suddenly jumped off the bed. "I think we women have a lot of work to do" she exclaimed._

 _She headed for the door but paused just as her hand touched the knob. Turning around to face her sister she solemnly stated "I'll only marry when, and if, I fall madly in love."_


	18. Chapter 18

Dinner that night was a livelier affair than the previous nights probably due to Howard being a congenial host whose outgoing personality seemed to bring an enthusiasm to the room that was infectious. It wasn't that Mary wasn't a gracious hostess for she certainly was but rather she was much more refined and reserved than her husband.

Although much time had passed Mary still retained the lessons of her early life that there was a certain way to behave in public and standards to be met. That she was to be dignified and polite. While probably most sitting around that dining room table wouldn't agree that this was a public setting, to Mary it was.

If Ciara was asked to describe her Great Aunt she would certainly use the word elegant. Ciara thought the word fit both Mary's demeanor and dress. It wasn't just that her clothes were made of the finest materials and that they always draped her slim figure just perfectly or that her hair was always perfectly coiffed in a low chignon (it would never be described as a bun), it was also the way Mary moved and the way she carried herself. But it was also this elegance, Ciara thought, that made Aunt Mary seem cold and distant. Ciara couldn't see Mary playing in the sandbox with her grandchildren or teaching them how to ride a bicycle. No, with Aunt Mary it would have been tea parties with china tea sets and porcelain dolls.

Although Mary and Tom had talked about how much things had changed at Downton and how much more casual dinner was, there was still a particular routine that was followed. When the family entered the dining room, the appetizer, which tonight was shrimp cocktail, was already sitting at each diner's place along with a tall glass of water. After all were seated, Michael, starting with Mary, went around the room and poured wine for whoever wanted it.

Unlike the days of old when dinner was eaten under the watchful eyes of the butler and at least two footmen, Michael did not stay in the room as the family ate, but rather retreated to the butler's pantry which was just off the dining room. When Mary determined it was time for the main entrée, she rang a small bell that summoned Michael to retrieve the used dishes and the butler, Hanes, to serve the main course. Hanes walked around to each diner with the platter of roast loin of pork and roasted potatoes and onions from which each diner served themself. He was followed by Lucinda who had two bowls of vegetables and Michael with more wine.

Ciara and Aine had been amused the first night at being served by a butler. It was like being in a restaurant they had agreed that night after retreating to their bedroom only it was different in that they could ask for seconds. While both had thought it seemed rather classy, by the third night they had concluded they preferred to serve themselves from platters and bowls set on the table as they did in their own homes.

Of all the rooms in this house, it was this one that held the strongest memories for Tom. He knew Sybil would be surprised to hear it wasn't the library but while he was most comfortable in the library for he could lose himself in the company of all those books, he hadn't really spent that much time in the library. When he had been the chauffeur he had dreamed of how wonderful it would be on a cold afternoon to sit in one of those plush sofas or chairs reading while a roaring fire warmed the room, a glass of fine Irish whiskey on the table beside him. Yet the reality was that even after he became a member of the family he didn't feel welcomed to sit and read there at least not until long after Robert was gone. By then though his visits to Downton were infrequent and time in the library was more likely to be tea with the family or sharing a late night whiskey with Sybil before retiring to their bedroom.

It was in the dining room that he felt the presence of those who were now long gone. Even now he could picture in his mind how it had once been. He saw Cora where Mary now sat and Robert where Howard sat. Edith, Violet, Matthew, Isabel … he could picture them all at this very table. Even the presence of Carson and Thomas pervaded this room.

 _Tom didn't want to embarrass Sybil at dinner. He might not dress the part as a matter of principal although with their finances it wouldn't have really been feasible even if he had been willing to do so. When he sat down at the table he was mystified by all the dishes and glasses and silverware at his place setting. Just more waste he thought and one more way to show he was different from them._

" _Watch me" Sybil had said when he broached the subject in their bedroom._

" _Maybe I shouldn't go down there" Tom had stated. "I could have a tray here."_

" _Nonsense. You are my husband Tom" Sybil had adamantly replied. "You have every right to dine there."_

 _It was so easy for her, after all it was her family and it was the life she had been born into. But as she looked at the man she loved, she could see the worry in his eyes. She knew he wanted their acceptance, not their approval, but their acceptance as her husband._

 _If only he felt as confident as Sybil had sounded. It wasn't only that he had never dined in such elegant fashion, it was also the people he was dining with. He looked around the table and knew that outside of Sybil, and possibly Mrs. Crawley, no one else wanted him there. Even Carson made that clear when he held the tray slightly too high for Tom's reach while Thomas sneered from across the room._

 _Old lady Grantham had immediately commented on his dress. Unlike Robert and Matthew, he was dressed in an ordinary suit, the suit he had traveled in to Downton. Once again he was reminded how these people had no idea of the real world around them._

This room had witnessed so much Tom thought. It was here that Violet often used her sharpest tongue, usually directed at Isabel or Cora but no one was spared. It was here that he had been humiliated at the hands of Larry Grey only to be rescued by Matthew.

" _Is that the mail Carson?"_

" _Yes my lord" Carson responded by handing the post to Robert except for one small envelope._

" _This is addressed to Mr. Branson." To the shocked eyes of all Carson handed the envelope to Tom. Tom's bewilderment only grew when he read the name and address of the sender. Rather than read it in the room surrounded by the curious stares of the family, Tom pocketed the envelope. Fearing the words contained within, he wouldn't give them any satisfaction of displaying emotions in front of them._

 _It was later that Sybil by chance spied Tom at the folly across the broad lawn from the house. She wondered why he was there knowing that they would have to soon leave to catch the train for their return journey to Dublin._

 _He didn't say anything when she approached him but stood there staring back at the grand house. She came and stood beside him and took in the view of what had been her childhood home._

" _Do you ever miss it?" He finally spoke breaking the silence between them._

" _Sometimes" she replied causing him to turn and face her._

 _With that mischievous sparkle in her eyes that he had come to know so well she continued. "Sometimes I wish I had Mary or Edith to talk to" he arched his eyebrow not quite sure what she was leading to. "Sometimes when I'm running late getting home or I've burnt dinner, I wish there was a Mrs. Patmore in the kitchen."_

 _She turned back to look at the house. "They're my family Tom and I do love them. But being here reminds me of all the things I love about our life in Ireland."_

 _He threw his arms around her and kissed her passionately not thinking, or even caring, that anyone in the house could see him._

 _Ever the practical one, it was Sybil that finally, breathlessly remarked "we should probably get back to the house. Our train leaves shortly."_

 _Tom nodded and took her hand in his as they started walking back across the lawn._

" _Who was your letter from?" She had been just as curious as everyone else when he had received the mail._

 _He stopped walking and reached into his pocket. Pulling out the envelope he handed it to her._

 _She arched her brow in puzzlement reading the sender's name Lord Merton. He nodded for her to read the note._

 _She looked up Tom after finishing the short note, a broad smile on her face. "See there is hope" she said._

 _He nodded but then replied "How ever did he raise such an arse as his son?"_

 _Sybil laughed. "You never met Lady Merton!" she exclaimed._

 _Walking arm in arm back to the house Tom couldn't help but think of the words Lord Merton had written. It wasn't the apology once again for the appalling behavior of his son that Tom recalled but it was what else Lord Merton had written._

" _I've known Lady Sybil all her life and have watched her grow from a delightful child into a fine young woman. Kind and generous, spirited and fearless are all words I'd use to define her. I watched you two carefully at Mary's wedding and reception. Seeing the way she looked at you, the way her hand always reached for yours, there is no doubt that you have captured her heart. And there is no doubt she is in fine hands with you. I wish the both of you a happy and long life together."_

It had gotten easier over the years as he became more familiar with the family. Yet no matter how comfortable he had become here, he missed the warmth of his mother's kitchen and then that of his and Sybil's home.

"I can still remember that first time I came here."

The conversation Howard had started in the drawing room continued now at the dinner table and everyone around the table was listening to him.

He looked lovingly across the table at his wife "These days I like to say it was because I met Mary."

"Now Howard" Mary began lightheartedly, her eyes twinkling.

But before Mary could finish whatever it was she was going to say Howard spoke up. "But it was actually Sybil that I most remember from that visit."

"Sybil?" Tom cried out as Aine and Ciara both exclaimed "Grand Ma?"

"As I said Patrick was one of my class mates. We weren't best friends, we weren't really even that close actually, so I was surprised when he invited me to come here with him and two other friends for a short visit."

Looking around the room Howard continued "I think he just wanted to show off to us what he was going to inherit one day."

"But Sybil was too young to dine with us so how did you meet her?" Mary asked her voice and face showing her bewilderment.

"Fishing" Howard responded.

"Fishing!" Howard heartedly laughed as his audience responded.

 _Surprisingly Patrick hadn't exaggerated about the estate he would one day inherit. Despite Patrick's descriptions of the house, which Howard often thought was just boastful blather, he wasn't prepared for the reality of Downton. It was by far the largest and grandest house he had ever been in. But it wasn't just the house but also the grounds that amazed Howard. He thought he could walk all day and not make it off the grounds of the estate._

 _He had to escape, if just for a little while, Patrick. He knew he wasn't in the same league as Patrick and most of the other guys in his class. Most had titles or would one day inherit a title. While Howard's family was rich, it was his grandfather that had made the family fortune not some long dead ancestor that had been rewarded with a title and a country estate. His mother, as sweet and good as a mother one could want, desired entry into the upper crust for her son and daughters. She had been much more excited about Patrick's invitation to visit Downton than Howard had been._

 _Howard was used to tramping through the fields and woods near his home and even around the school. It was his way of clearing his mind not that at his age he had any pressing problems or issues. He was smart and enjoyed school and was doing well there although he knew that he would follow in the steps of his father and take over the family hardware business._

 _He had been walking for an hour when he decided he should probably head back but suddenly found himself unsure of where he was. Looking around he spotted ten yards in front of him a young lad sitting on a log that jutted out into a lake, a fishing pole in his hands_

" _Having any luck?" Howard quietly asked as he approached the lad._

 _Despite his quiet tone he had obviously startled the lad causing him to drop his fishing pole which landed in the water. Precariously teetering on the log, the lad tried to retrieve his fishing pole. Howard rushed forward to stop him from falling in the water. Grabbing onto the back of the lad's shirt, Howard managed to pull the lad back onto the log but not before one of his legs dangled into the water._

 _Instead of being grateful for preventing his falling into the water, the lad turned on Howard "You shouldn't sneak up on someone!"_

 _Startled at the sound of the voice, Howard realized it wasn't a lad, despite the attempt at dressing like a young lad, but rather a posh sounding young girl "You're a girl!"_

" _Is there some law that says a girl can't fish?"_

 _Howard chuckled at the girl's spunk. "No … no … I just thought … well … you're dressed as a boy."_

" _I'm not dressed as a boy" she responded briskly. "These are my fishing clothes."_

" _Oh is there a difference?"_

 _The girl deeply sighed and rolled her eyes as if Howard was a dunce._

" _Oh well I wasn't catching anything anyways" she finally stated. She jumped down from the log onto the ground._

" _Do you fish often?"_

" _Well …" for the first time she looked hesitant._

" _It's just that I couldn't help but notice that you didn't have any bait."_

" _Bait?"_

" _Yes you need something to attract the fish."_

 _Seeing the perplexed look on her face, Howard continued. "Usually one uses a worm or a minnow."_

" _So you know a lot about fishing?"_

 _Howard sat down on the log and the girl sat beside him. The conversation started about fishing which Howard was amused Sybil, she had finally told him her name, was so interested in, then veered into who Howard was. When he remarked that he was a friend of Patrick's and was visiting Downton Abbey, Sybil suddenly gasped and jumped off the log._

" _Oh Heavens!" she cried. "We better get going or they'll send someone out looking for us."_

 _Howard was grateful he had found Sybil for he wasn't sure he'd have been able to find his way back at least not as easily with her leading the way. He was surprised once again how interested she was in his schooling. She peppered him with questions about living in a dormitory as well as what subject he was learning._

 _When the house was in sight, Sybil turned to him._

" _I think you can find your way now"_

 _He nodded at her and thanked her. Shaking his hand she looked at him quite seriously and asked that he not mention meeting her to anyone at the house. Thinking that it was probably because the locals were not allowed fishing on the grounds of the estate, Howard readily agreed. With that Sybil ran off._

"Actually it's a long story but I'll just say I went for a walk around the estate and met her fishing."

Mary was still trying to digest that information. "Sybil was out fishing?"

"I think it was her first time because she wasn't using any bait. Didn't even know what bait was." Howard chuckled.

"She was a little spitfire" Howard looked at Tom "if you don't mind me saying so."

"I often wish I had known Sybil as a child" Tom answered wistfully.

Mary rolled her eyes. "Sybil was able to get into quite enough trouble on her own as a child."

"See I wasn't really a corrupting influence on her" Tom said as he looked at his granddaughters causing both of them to giggle.

"The funny thing is" Howard took back the conversation. "We had quite a long chat. She was interested in my schooling and studies which I found rather surprising and interesting since … well … with the way she was dressed … I thought …. well …" Howard stopped since he didn't want to sound patronizing.

"So you're telling me that it was my sister who looked like a ragamuffin that most captured your attention?" Mary feigned indignation.

"The funny thing is she told me her name but not who she was. It didn't occur to me that she was one of the daughters of the house. So I was quite surprised when I saw her that evening in the hallway where she begged me not to tell anyone about our afternoon."

"That was dear Sybil" Mary stated fondly. "I think Granny despaired of her ever acting like a proper young lady."

A/N: This chapter isn't at all what I originally planned but I thought I'd throw in a more lighthearted chapter after the past few chapters. Thank you to all who have taken the time to leave a review, they are greatly appreciated!


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Thank you to the guests for your reviews – I'm glad you are enjoying the story. Especially liked the comment regarding the fish story because I went back and forth on whether to include it.

During their time at Downton, Ciara and Aine had seen that it was more than just the castle like building their Grand Ma had once called home, there was a vast expanse of forests, lakes, meadows, farmland, and open fields that comprised what was referred to as the Downton Estate. They had seen picturesque fields with cattle and sheep grazing, meadows of wild flowers, fanciful gardens full of beautiful flowers, and practical gardens with herbs and vegetables. Tom had explained to his granddaughters that the estate was now down to 1000 acres whereas in the early part of the century, when he had first come to Downton, it was comprised of just over 5,000 acres.

Although it was only a twenty minute walk to the house that had once been the home of Tom and Sybil, Artie had offered to drive Tom and the girls there. He would drop them off there on his way to Thirsk and they would walk back. As they piled into the old Hillman Husky, Tom told Artie and the girls that the house was not the one that had been the designated Estate Agent's house.

"That house was called White Oak House" Tom announced.

"White Oak House" Artie repeated. "Do you mean the place that is off the old Chapel Road?"

"Aye" Tom replied.

"That house was the Agent's house?" There was no mistaking the surprise on Artie's face and in his voice.

Tom chuckled at Artie's amazement of learning about White Oak House.

"That was mine and Sybil's sentiment when we saw the house for the first time."

 _Tom stopped the motor car but neither he nor Sybil made any move to exit for both were too stunned at seeing the house. Tom lowered his face to look again at the piece of paper where Matthew had written down the directions to the Estate Agent's house. Satisfied that he had read the directions correctly he raised his head and once again looked out the car's windshield at the house._

" _Are you sure this is the house?" Sybil asked, her brows furrowed in disbelief as she stared at the house._

" _Aye" Tom replied. He handed her the paper with the directions._

" _Do you think Matthew has ever seen this place? I can't believe this is where Jarvis lived" Tom stated as he too stared at the house which was quite grand maybe even more so than the Dowager's house and certainly more than Crawley House._

" _There's nineteen windows Sybil … nineteen" Tom proclaimed as he stared at the huge two story house. "And eight chimneys!"_

 _When Matthew had told them they could move into the Estate Agent's house Tom and Sybil pictured a nice cottage with two, maybe three bedrooms, a cozy place that would be just perfect for them and baby Aoife. In no way did this imposing two story brick building resemble a nice cozy cottage._

 _Sybil turned and faced her husband. "Shall we go in?"_

" _Sybil, love, you know if we move here we'll have to employ help. There must be twenty rooms! There is no way the two of us could manage it."_

" _But …" Sybil looked back at the house. "It would be ours Tom. A place just for us to live like we want."_

" _We'd be spending much of my salary on help. I thought we wanted to save as much as possible" Tom responded. "For when we go back to Ireland." He reached out to touch his wife's arm._

 _Feeling Tom's hand on her arm, Sybil turned to face him. "I know you're right Tom this place is much too big for us." Turning once again to look at the house she whispered "but I just want a place for us and Aoife."_

 _He could see the disappointment in Sybil's demeanor and he too felt disappointment. He so wanted to get out of the Abbey but this place … he couldn't imagine the two of them living in such a grand house._

" _Maybe there is another house or cottage on the estate we could have. I'll talk to Matthew."_

"But White Oak House isn't owned by us Uncle Tom."

"I know. After Sybil and I didn't move in, Matthew rented it for years to some American who wanted an English countryside manor for the few months of the year he was in England. Eventually he decided to sell it."

Artie finally started the car. He asked for directions from Tom because he wasn't sure what house Tom and Sybil had lived in. Upon hearing the directions he was sure he knew the house.

Chuckling, Artie said "That house certainly isn't any White Oak House!"

"I think it was when I saw White Oak House that I realized the stature of the Estate Agent. I had no idea when I became the Estate Agent of what that actually entailed for I had no idea of the extent of the estate's enterprises."

" _How do you think I look?" Sybil couldn't help but chuckle as she watched Tom looking at himself in the mirror. She couldn't recall when he had seemed to care so much about his clothes._

" _I think this tie would be better" she said as she handed him a dark gray tie._

 _Bowing to his wife's far better knowledge of fashion, Tom exchanged the tie he had picked for the one Sybil was now handing him._

" _It seems strange to be attending the county agricultural committee meeting as the representative of Downton Abbey."_

 _Sybil didn't think she could feel prouder of her husband than she did now as she looked him. The listlessness he had displayed when they first came back here had been replaced by an enthusiasm that seemed much more in his nature._

 _Although Sybil finished tying Tom's tie her hands rested on his shoulders._ _"You are the Estate Agent Mr. Tom Branson and as such you_ _ **are**_ _the face of Downton Abbey."_

 _Covering his wife's hands with his own, Tom's eyes twinkled. "You ever thought all those years ago when you came to see me in the garage that one day I'd be working to save this place?"_

 _Sybil laughed before turning serious. "Tom, you're not just working to save an estate, to keep Mary in the latest fashions, you're working to better the lives of the tenants, to make sure men have a good livelihood."_

 _As she so often did, Sybil's words moved Tom. "I do have the chance to make a difference Sybil. I can put into practice some of those ideals that I've talked about for so long."_

He had spent six years here as the chauffeur yet few outside of the family and those that worked in the house actually knew him. Some of the villagers knew him by sight having seen him driving his lordship through the village or patiently waiting by the motor car while one of the family members did their shopping. Only a few, such as Mrs. Bridley who ran the post office or Mr. Winton, the baker who made those delicious eclairs that Sybil was so fond of and with which Tom would sometimes surprise her when he picked her up after her shift at the hospital, had actually conversed with him.

When he and Sybil had come to Downton for Mary's wedding, there were of course the curious stares as the villagers wanted to see the chauffeur who had married his lordship's youngest daughter. Then when he had fled here from Ireland after the burning of that castle, they were curious to see the Irish rebel who was rumored to only be a free man because of his lordship's interference.

It was only when he became the Estate Agent that Tom became a recognizable figure on the estate as well as in the village.

"Other than those workers I saw around me such as the stable hands or the gardeners, I knew there were tenant farmers but that was the extent of my knowledge. I had no idea of all the other men the estate employed." For a man who professed to be interested in politics as a way of righting the social injustices and inequalities Tom was embarrassed to find that he knew so little of the actual world in which he was living.

"In my day here the estate was largely self-sufficient with almost everything one needed grown or produced on the grounds. It wasn't just the gardens and greenhouses we've seen. Tenant farmers raised much of the livestock or plowed and harvested the fields of wheat and barley and oats" Tom stated. "The estate operated its own dairy and sawmill and forge."

"Men were employed as gardeners, groundskeepers, handymen, stonemasons, carpenters, blacksmiths, stable hands and grooms" Tom continued.

"But you were here as a chauffeur Grand Da so why the need for stable hands and grooms?" Aine asked.

"Even though his lordship owned three motor cars, horse carts were still used to transport goods and there were horses for riding. Riding was still a big deal, not so much for your Grand Ma but Mary loved to ride. And the estate had fox hunts and hunting parties.

 _Fox hunts! He couldn't believe the ways the aristocracy found to have fun. Tomorrow would be a very busy day for him with the numerous trips he'd make ferrying guests from the railway station to the house. Tom was taking a break relaxing with a cup of tea after spending the morning washing and polishing two of the motor cars. He still had the last one to do but he'd do that one after lunch._

" _Getting ready for tomorrow I see" There was amusement in Sybil's voice as she stood there taking in the sight of the gleaming motor cars parked outside of the garage. The sound of her voice surprised him for he hadn't expected to see her today._

 _Neatly folding his newspaper he had been reading, he laid it on the work bench before standing._

" _So are you riding in this fox hunt?" he asked_

" _Hunts aren't really an interest of mine." She made herself comfortable on the work bench. He arched his eyebrow in the questioning manner he had and she shrugged her shoulders in response._

" _When I was a child I used to love to see all the horses and everyone looked so smart in their red jackets." She looked at him "but I'm not really a very good rider. Mary was always the horsewoman." Her eyes suddenly clouded over and she looked away from him._

 _Tom thought it odd that if Mary was such a horsewoman that she would miss the fox hunt. He had taken her to the railway station yesterday afternoon to board a train for London._

" _Actually I'm surprised Papa is having the hunt after what happened last year."_

 _His curiosity aroused he asked. "What happened last year?"_

" _Evelyn Napier, a good friend of the family, brought a visiting Turkish diplomat. He was quite dashing … the Turk. Pamuk was his name."_

" _Mary seemed quite taken with him." Sybil stood up and walked over to the open doors of the garage. He had been around her enough now to know the signs of when she was troubled and so he was now curious as to how this Pamuk man had troubled her._

" _He was so young and seemed perfectly healthy but … but …" Sybil turned around to face Tom. "In the morning when Thomas went to his room with the tea tray he found him dead."_

" _Dead!" Tom was shocked for he hadn't expected this._

 _Sybil nodded. "He had a heart attack apparently. Strange isn't it … he was so young."_

" _And Mary …" Sybil scrunched her face. "Mary seemed terribly affected by it. Odd really because that's not like Mary at all."_

" _Well you did say she was taken with him."_

" _But you and Lady Edith weren't so affected by it."_

 _Sybil came back and sat on the bench. "Neither Edith or I really talked to him. I guess it seems strange to flirt with a man at dinner and then find out at breakfast that he's died. We've never known anyone so young to die."_

 _Tom was reminded once again of the sheltered life Sybil and her sisters led. He had seen too many children in his neighborhood die mostly from disease but a few from accidents like his cousin Joe who had fallen off a ladder._

"I don't recall ever having a fox hunt here" Artie stated. "Mum and Caroline are very much into horses but it's horse shows and competitions and Dad isn't into horses or hunting at all which some think is strange for a country gentleman."

"Can you believe there were men who were employed just to raise pheasants in pens then release them in the wild for shooting parties?" Tom shook his head at the memory, still showing his disbelief. "I remember being told that Downton had an excellent reputation for its shooting parties."

 _Tom was sitting in the servants hall enjoying a cup of tea and a slice of black walnut cake while reading the day old newspapers that Mr. Carson left in the room for whoever wanted to read them after his lordship had finished with them. He was the only one there as the housemaids and footmen had all left quickly after luncheon and were busy with their afternoon chores. While he might have some long days, unlike most of the staff Tom often had plenty of free time during the day. Usually he'd make use of the time to service the motor cars or to wash and polish them. Sometimes, like now, he'd sip tea and read the newspaper or a book although he preferred doing that in the garage rather than the servants hall but Mr. Carson had said he wanted to talk to him after luncheon so Tom was here waiting for him._

" _His lordship will be hosting a shooting party next week." Mr. Carson had finally called Tom into his office. "Downton is well known for the quality of its shooting parties._

 _Tom had never heard of a shooting party but somehow he doubt it would meet his idea of a party. He'd have to ask Lady Sybil later about what exactly was a shooting party since he didn't want to profess his ignorance to Mr. Carson._

" _There will be 20 people coming to his lordship's shooting party that starts next Tuesday." Mr. Carson sat at his desk in the butler's office. "Their arrival times vary so you will need to make numerous trips to the railway station. I will give you the arrival times as soon as I know them so you can make plans accordingly."_

 _Tom nodded in understanding._

" _Usually for this type of thing there is a great deal of luggage so a stable boy should drive a horse cart to the railway station to help handle the luggage._

" _I think that's all for now unless you have any questions." Carson stood as his sign to Tom that their meeting was over._

 _Tom nodded to Carson and turned to leave the small butler's office. "I would hope I needn't remind you that it is important for the motor car to be in tiptop condition. There will be some important men coming here."_

 _Tom turned back to look at Carson, barely able to conceal his irritation. He wanted to lash out at the man. He took pride in his work and always kept the motor cars in impeccable condition. But Tom had a feeling that Carson's comments had nothing to do with his work but rather with his politics in light of the recent events concerning Lady Sybil. Carson had made it clear to him that he held Tom responsible for Lady Sybil's injuries at the counting of the votes._

 _In the few months he had been here, Tom had come to realize that Mr. Carson was never one for chit chat with the servants other than Mrs. Hughes. While Mrs. Hughes would inquire of his health or his family Mr. Carson never did. It didn't really bother Tom that much because he realized Carson did oversee a large staff and he didn't really see having much in common with the butler._

 _What he had come to realize, and what did bother him, was the reverence Carson had not only for the family but the aristocracy. He didn't understand how someone like Carson could think the family was better than him just because of their birth. Tom was a firm believer that being born an Earl or Count or Duke or whatever didn't make one a better person than those that served them. Carson didn't see the social injustice of the aristocracy and the system that kept men and women in servitude._

 _As he had told Lady Sybil, his lordship was a decent employer but he didn't think his lordship understood the realities of being a servant. The long hours, the being available at any time day or night, the being subservient to the family's wants … even Lady Sybil didn't truly understand. After all it was her willfulness that had almost cost him his position._

" _You lied to me Lady Sybil." The fear he had regarding her injuries had now been replaced by anger._

" _I'm sorry Branson but I knew if I told you where I really wanted to go you wouldn't have driven me."_

" _You're right I probably wouldn't have taken you."_

" _But I did so want to be there for the count" she breezily countered._

" _You almost cost me my job" his anger didn't abate with her lack of contrition, in fact it only grew stronger._

" _I didn't think …"_

" _No you didn't think" Tom didn't allow her to finish her thought. "Your lot never thinks of the effect of your actions on people like me. You put my job in jeopardy. A job I can't afford to lose …" Tom stopped as he looked at her face. While only a moment ago she had that blissful look, a look she seemed to have perfected, especially when they talked politics, she now looked crestfallen._

 _She looked away from him, her head tilted towards the floor. They stood in silence. Tom became annoyed with himself as he realized he wanted to reach out and wrap his arms around her. He hadn't meant to be so harsh with her but he wanted her to acknowledge the difficult position she had put him in._

 _Yet there was also something else he found difficult to acknowledge and that was his feelings when he saw her laying on the ground unconscious. In that moment it wasn't his job that entered his thoughts but rather her well-being and not just because she was his employer. It was in that moment that he realized he had feelings for her, feelings that he should never have._

 _She sighed deeply, her chest rising and falling._

" _I shouldn't have deceived you." Still looking towards the floor, she shook her head slightly as her teeth chewed the one side of her lips._

" _No you shouldn't have. It's not just me but my family depends on my earnings." He knew he, and all the other servants, worked on the whim of their employer and they could easily be let go whether or not there was a good reason but letting the daughter of his lordship get hurt, regardless of the circumstances, would easily be considered a firing offense._

" _I was just so excited to see my first count."_

" _I like and admire your interest in politics but you need to think of the consequences of your actions."_

 _Her head still downcast, she nodded slightly._

 _When she finally raised her head to look at him her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "I am sorry Branson. Truly."_

 _Looking once again into that beautiful face full of remorse, Tom felt his anger dissipate._

" _Please tell me … please say we'll still talk. I couldn't bear it if …" she looked away from him and down at the floor once more._

" _Of course we'll still talk. Who else around here is willing to listen to my political rants?"_

 _She smiled, a genuine smile that lit up her face. "I promise I won't deceive you again."_

While it might take less than twenty minutes to walk to the former house of Tom and Sybil's it took a bit longer to drive there since the roads were not as direct as the walking path.

Artie stopped the car in front of the two story brick house. A tall hedge outlined the sides of the front yard of the house with a low brick wall with an iron gate defining the front. The yard was filled with flowering shrubs and plants with a stone pathway leading to the small covered porch and the front door painted a dark green which matched the shutters on all the windows.

"The head gardener, Mr. Gaynor and his family live here now. I told him you would be coming by to see the house."

It had been years since Tom had last seen this house. On visits to Downton he may have passed it when out walking but he never set out to visit it. Now standing by the front gate, he stood there staring at the house he didn't notice the addition with its large sun room but rather he saw the house as it had been.

It was a new start for them moving to the agent's house for once again they would be in their own place and could live the simple lifestyle they both preferred. Unlike their flat in Dublin this house wouldn't be furnished with hand me downs from Tom's family or cheap second hand goods bought from advertisements in the newspapers. To furnish this house the attics of Downton were opened to Sybil, and by extension to Tom, where a variety of fine quality furniture that had once graced one of the many rooms below were stored, for in families like the Crawleys furniture was passed from generation to generation never to be thrown out unless it was damaged beyond repair.

 _To the Bransons it was like shopping in the finest department store in Dublin without having to worry about paying the bill. Sybil had brought tags to tie onto the furniture pieces and rugs so that later when the footmen or hall boys were brought up here they'd know which pieces to move._

" _Love, don't you think you're picking too many pieces" Tom gently chided his wife._

 _His wife shot him a withering look. "I mean how many chests or end tables do we need?" he asked._

" _It's a big house Tom" she replied._

" _Not as big as White Oak House."_

" _Not many houses are as big as White Oak."_

" _You're not disappointed?"_

 _She stopped rummaging through the crate and looked at her husband. "I think Greystones is just perfect for us."_

" _Greystones?" Tom looked in puzzlement at his wife._

" _Surely you've noticed that almost every house or cottage around here has a name. I think Greystones is perfect for ours."_

" _But …" Tom still wasn't clear why Sybil thought Greystones would be the perfect name for their house especially since it wasn't built of grey stones but rather red brick._

 _Sybil set the cloths back into the crate. With her eyebrow arched and a faint smile on her lips, she looked at Tom. "Surely you haven't already forgotten Greystones?"_

 _When Tom didn't reply, Sybil stood up placing her hands on her hips and sighed. "It hasn't even been two years Tom!"_

 _Tom's face suddenly turned red. "Greystones!"_

 _Now Sybil smiled. "Yes Greystones."_

 _Walking the five feet that separated them, Tom put his arms around Sybil and drew her close to him. "So will the first three nights there be like those nights at Greystones?" he whispered in her ear._

 _Laughing, Sybil responded "I certainly hope so!" before kissing her husband._

 _Although they certainly tried, they didn't quite manage to recreate all three nights for on their honeymoon at the seaside town of Greystones they didn't have a four month old demanding attention._

"It's a lovely house" Aine commented. "It reminds me of your house in Dublin."

"It does" chimed Ciara.

"I never thought of that" Tom began "but you're right it does." The Dublin house was a bit larger but otherwise it did resemble the house now in front of him with the large front windows on either side of the doorway although in Dublin one was a bay window.

"So this is where Mum was born?" Aine asked.

"Well this is where we were living but she was actually born at the cottage hospital."

"How long did you live here?"

"We moved in in early November 1920. Aoife was just four months old. It was March 1925 when we moved back to Dublin. By then we had Roisin and Sybil was pregnant with Eamon."

"Are you going to see if we can go in there?"

Tom shook his head. "No."

He didn't need to see the inside of the house. "There's nothing of us left inside there."

Turning away from the house his eyes caught sight of the iron gate with a four inch high metal plate running the width of the gate near the latch on which the word _Greystones_ was etched.

A/N: The Estate Agent's house was really called White Oak House. If you do a search for it there is such a house still on the Highclere grounds – it's a 10 bedroom house!


	20. Chapter 20

Tom's hand automatically reached out touching the iron plate on the gate that read _Greystones,_ a sly smile slowly curving across his face as he gently rubbed his hand back and forth over the word. _Greystones._ It had been their little secret, the meaning of the word, and no coaxing by her family could get Sybil to reveal the story behind the word.

" _Really Sybil Greystones is what you've named your house!" Mary rolled her eyes. "I take it you have seen it … and you do realize those are red bricks not grey stones."_

" _I'm not blind Mary" Sybil was rather put out. She didn't understand why everyone was making such a fuss about the name._

" _So then why …" Mary waited for an explanation._

 _Sybil shrugged her shoulders. "It sounds like the name of a nice country house."_

" _Well it does sound better than Redbricks" Edith entered the conversation._

" _I think there's something else" Mary looked suspiciously at Sybil. "Certainly that building in Dublin where you had that flat you called home didn't have a name did it?"_

" _Oh Mary" Edith sighed. "I think it sounds rather romantic. Greystones. Like the country home of a romantic hero in a gothic novel."_

" _Thank you Edith. I think that sounds lovely."_

" _Oh come on Sybil you never liked those romance novels" Mary just wasn't giving up. "It must be the name of some Irish patriot or some other such nonsense."_

Yet the time here hadn't always been like a honeymoon. There was of course the happiness of finally having once again their own place where they could set the rules and be themselves. It was those little things that they held so dear, that were so alien to those that lived at the Abbey, like eating dinner at the kitchen table while one of them held little Aoife or lounging in the front parlor in their pajamas.

But there had also been the hard years when Sybil had attended the nursing college in York. As she did with everything, Sybil had thrown herself into her training. It wasn't enough to get her degree she wanted to be the best student causing her to spend endless hours studying in addition to the time taken attending her classes. While Tom had felt resentment in what he perceived to be her lack of attention to him and Aoife, he had to admit he was just as guilty in neglecting his family for his work.

Like Sybil with her training, he had thrown himself into his work as the Estate Agent. While he told himself it was because he didn't want to let Matthew down, if he was truly honest with himself it was that he wanted to prove himself not only to Matthew but also to Sybil's mother and sisters, and most of to Robert. He wanted to show them that he was worthy of being Sybil's husband.

It was only once he was working as the Estate Agent he realized how much he enjoyed the work. He relished the challenges presented by the various enterprises of the estate and finding solutions to problems as well as dealing with people. As if he wasn't busy enough with all that he began writing again. It started with writing for some agricultural publications on new farming methods as well as new machinery and while these topics remained the major focus he also began writing on their implications for society and politics and the changing world. Eventually he branched out into other magazines and journals and then newspapers.

 _The rain was relentless making the drive from Ripon miserable. The meeting had run much longer than he had anticipated and now it was way past dinner time. As if to affirm that thought, Tom's stomach actually made grumbling noises._

 _Sybil was sitting at the kitchen table with her textbooks and papers covering most of the table's surface. She looked at the large wall clock that hung over the stove before briefly glancing at Tom as he entered the room and then casting her eyes once again on her school work._

" _I'm sorry love" Tom stated as he bent down to kiss Sybil's cheek while rubbing her back with one hand. "The meeting went much longer than I thought it would and then with this rain."_

 _His words were met with stony silence from Sybil who continued making notes on some of the papers lying on the table as if he hadn't spoken._

 _Pulling his arm away, Tom straightened up and sighed. It was the deep sigh that did it._

 _Her irritation clearly showing on her face she snarled "You could have left early Tom or asked Matthew to go in your place. You know I have an important exam tomorrow. You said you'd taken care of Aoife this afternoon so I could study."_

 _If Sybil was hoping Tom would display some contrition she was sorely mistaken for her outburst only caused Tom to bristle._

" _It was my job to go not Matthew's" Tom responded. "Anyway, I don't see Aoife here so she must be in bed and you're clearly studying now."_

" _Yes Tom, Aoife is in bed. I finally got her there about fifteen minutes ago". So I've been studying for all of ten minutes!"_

" _I don't understand why you're so worried. You know this stuff" Tom pointed to the books. "You worked as a nurse for God's sake."_

 _Sybil looked at him her eyes blazing with anger. "Doing something and being able to answer questions on it isn't the same Tom. Knowing the correct terms, knowing the textbook procedure, it's different than when you're faced tending to a wounded soldier."_

 _Alot was said that night. Things that both parties later wished they could take back. Tom's mother had told him to always kiss his wife good night, no matter how angry, that it was hard to stay angry at someone when you felt the touch of their lips on yours. But that night he couldn't do it._

The worst quarrel of their married life had been in this house. Yet it had also been in this house where two of their children were conceived. In this house their two oldest children had learned to walk and to talk. In this house had been the best and the worst of their marriage.

"It's an odd name for the house"

Tom was so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't heard the woman approach him. At the sound of her voice he looked up from the gate to find a motherly looking woman wearing a blue and white checked apron over her plain light blue dress standing just a foot or two away from him. She was gently wiping her hands on her apron.

" Ah … Mr. Branson. Artie told my husband you were coming by the house."

Tom smiled at the woman who looked vaguely familiar but he couldn't quite place her.

"I'm Elizabeth Gaynor. You probably don't remember me but I was a young housemaid up at the big house when you and Lady Sybil would come to visit. That would be back in the thirties."

At the mention of Sybil's name, the woman's eyes clouded a bit. "I was sorry to hear about Lady Sybil. She was a lovely woman."

Barely pausing for a moment the women went on "I remember one time I tripped and fell breaking the crystal vase of flowers I was carrying. I landed on some pieces of glass which cut my legs and hands. Lady Sybil was walking by and she immediately hurried over to me and started tending to my cuts. So gentle she was." The woman gushed on, her words coming out in such rapid fashion that Tom couldn't cut in.

"I was so embarrassed and a bit scared about breaking the vase but she took it in stride. But that was so like her, always smiling, always had a nice word to say to the servants. I …"

Rather amused at the woman's rapid speech and at the same time touched by her kinds words regarding Sybil, Tom finally interrupted her in mid- sentence. "I'm sorry if we interrupted your morning."

"Oh no" the woman rushed in to say. "I don't know where my manners are … surely you and your granddaughters want to see inside the house."

With that she turned and began walking towards her front door expecting Tom and the girls to follow her. Tom looked at his granddaughters who were doing all they could not to laugh out loud.

"Mrs. Gaynor" Tom called out. "That's very kind of you but we don't want to disturb your …"

"Nonsense Mr. Branson" Elizabeth Gaynor stopped to look back at Tom and the girls. "Please come in for tea." Smiling as she looked at Ciara and Aine she added "I have some scones that just came out of the oven.

From the outside, not counting the sun room addition that was visible on the left side, the house looked pretty much as it did when Tom lived here but then he reasoned these old houses didn't change on the outside, just look at the Abbey. So it was unexpected when he stepped into the foyer how much it still felt like home to Tom. He would swear that the long wooden accent table with the large mirror on the wall above it and the two chairs that sat against the opposite wall with a small low round table between them were the same ones he and Sybil had. Even the tall coat rack standing to the right of the door seemed to be the same.

The scent of freshly baked bread wafted in the air and Tom smiled thinking of how many times he had opened that door to the smells of freshly baked bread or cakes. He stood alone in the foyer lost in his thoughts of the past. Looking at the staircase in front of him he could see little Aoife scooting down the stairs on her bum, her laughter filling the room. She had been fascinated with the stairs and had treated them like some kind of toy much to the consternation of her parents.

Turning his sight to the right, Tom peered into the room that he had used as his study. To spend more time at home, he did a great deal of his paper work here as well as reading the magazines and journals he found helpful with his work. Many times he had sat at his desk reading or writing as Aoife sat on the rug that covered most of the floor playing with her toys. Even now he could envision those times when she'd climb up into his lap and amuse herself scribbling on scrap paper or the countless times when she would fall asleep with his hand absently rubbing the top of her head as he read.

The focal point was the brick fireplace with floor to ceiling wooden bookcases on either side of it. Probably to brighten the room the bookcases were now painted white as was all the wood trim in the room. Gone was the large desk that Tom had used replaced by a sofa and two matching lounge chairs with a television set sitting in the corner.

Gone too was the small sofa that had sat in front of the fireplace. It was there that Tom and Sybil had begun their ritual of sitting at the end of the day, usually sipping a whiskey, catching up on the events of the day whether it was their work or more amusingly the antics of their growing daughter. As he looked once again around the room seeing it in its present form, Tom shook his head, this room had no traces of him or Sybil.

 _Tom let out a big sigh of relief as he pulled the sheet of paper out of the typewriter. He read it over ensuring there were no typing errors. It had taken him longer than he thought it would to write the article but now finally it was done. He'd read it over again, one last time, in the morning when his mind and eyes were fresh before posting it._

 _He glanced at the clock on his desk, a gift last Christmas from his in-laws, and was surprised to see it was almost ten o'clock. He had told Sybil it would only take an hour or so to finish his article and here it was almost three hours later._

 _He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes._

" _Are you thinking or are you napping?"_

 _The gentle sound of his wife's voice startled him since he hadn't heard her come into the room._

 _Tom emitted a soft laugh. "Neither. I've finished the article."_

" _Oh Tom" Sybil leaned down to hug her husband. "That's wonderful."_

" _Oh Sybil, it just feels so good to be writing again even if it isn't political or for a newspaper." The article was for an agricultural journal but it was a popular one, probably with a wider circulation that his newspaper had, and he hoped his article would capture the interest of its readers and maybe lead to requests for more articles._

" _May I read it?"_

" _How about in the morning? I'm too tired right now to make any changes if you see anything that should be changed. But it's pretty much like you saw yesterday."_

 _Tom rose from his chair and walked over to the bookcase where he took a bottle of Irish whiskey from the shelf. Pouring two small glasses, he handed one to Sybil._

 _She sat down on the small sofa that faced the fireplace. The fire Tom had lit when he came into the room shortly after dinner was almost out but the embers still glowed red. Tom reached for another log to set on the fire but Sybil stopped him. "It's warm enough in here and it's time we head to bed anyway."_

 _Sitting down beside Sybil on the sofa, Tom took a sip of his whiskey. For a few minutes both were silent as the watched the dying flames of the fire._

" _This reminds me of that day when my finished my first article for the newspaper." Tom broke the silence. He looked at Sybil "You and me sitting on the sofa, sipping whiskey while we talked about what I had written."_

" _I know it's not a newspaper Tom but you said the journal is a popular one so maybe it will lead to more writing."_

 _Tom put his arm around Sybil's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "You've always been my biggest supporter Sybil."_

" _I remember a young man dressed in green livery, standing nervously at a doorway who told me he wouldn't always be a driver. That he was a hard worker and that he'd make something of himself."_

 _She turned to face him and ran her hand gently up and down the side of his face. "You asked me to bet on you and I have Tom. I'll always bet on you."_

Tom could hear laughter coming from the kitchen which sat at the end of the long hallway. He cast a quick glance into the dining room which he passed on the way to the kitchen.

The dining room had hardly been used by Tom and Sybil who much preferred to eat at the table in the kitchen. It was only when they had guests that they used the dining room and even that was rare. What little entertaining they did they preferred to do at tea time which they served in the front parlor.

The girls were in the kitchen eating some of Mrs. Gaynor's scones and drinking tea.

"Mrs. Gaynor was telling us stories about when you'd visit Downton with mum and Aunt Aoife and Uncle Eamon and Uncle Aedan" Aine informed her grandfather.

"They were such lovely children. The house was so lively when they were there."

"As Lady Mary still reminds me" Tom laughed.

"Please sit and have some tea and a scone." Mrs. Gaynor indicated a chair to Tom as she lifted a teapot to pour tea into the cup already sitting there.

"That's kind of you Mrs. Gaynor but I really think we should be going. We have a lot to do today."

He could see the disappointment in Mrs. Gaynor's kind face but he didn't really want to stay in the house any longer. It had been 45 years since he'd lived in this house and with the exception of the foyer it no longer resembled his house. With the modernization of the house, all traces of him and Sybil and Aoife and Roisin were long gone.

The affable Mrs. Gaynor followed them to the doorway where they said their goodbyes and the girls thanked her for the tea and scones.

"We've been very happy here Mr. Branson. Our children are grown now and out on their own but this is where we raised them. It's been a happy house and I'm guessing it was so when you lived here too."

Tom could feel his eyes misting a bit at Mrs. Gaynor's words. Despite his earlier thoughts that their time in this house had been the best and the worst of their marriage, he knew that in balance they had been happy here. It was their first home with Aoife and then Roisin. They had become a family in this house.

" _Tom you didn't pull the curtains last night" Sybil muttered as she pulled the blankets up to her chin while snuggling her back against her husband's chest._

" _I didn't realize that was my job" Tom cooed into her ear as he moved his right arm under her nightgown and across her chest until his hand rested on her breast._

" _Mama! Mama!"_

 _The sound of their daughter's voice broke any thought of romance._

" _You must speak to your daughter" Tom whispered. "This is the third time this week she's …"_

 _Tom's sentence was cut off by a louder wailing of "Mama! Mama!"_

 _Sybil quickly sat up. She leaned over to lightly kiss her husband on the forehead before jumping out of bed. "I guess there is something to be said for having a nanny."_

 _Grabbing her robe from the bottom of the bed she quickly donned it and walked out of the bedroom only to return a few minutes later with Roisin in her arms and a still sleepy Aoife trailing slowly behind._

" _The baby woke me up" Aoife grumpily exclaimed to no one in particular._

" _Can you say Merry Christmas to Daddy?" Sybil cooed to Roisin._

 _At the word Christmas Aoife perked up. All hints of sleepiness and grumpiness were gone as she ran to her father and pulled on his arm. "Come Daddy … Daddy … see what Father Christmas left?"_

 _Not waiting for a response Aoife darted out of her parents' bedroom and headed for the stairway. Resigned that he had no choice but to get up, Tom quickly put on his robe and followed his three year old._

 _Aoife was standing just inside the doorway to the front parlor looking at the Christmas tree that now had several brightly wrapped packages underneath it. Tom quietly edged over and turned on the Christmas lights causing his daughter to jump with delight, clapping her little hands, her eyes growing as big as saucers._

 _As Sybil entered the room, holding ten month old Roisin, Aoife turned to her mother and shouted "He came … Father Christmas came."_

A/N: As always thanks for the reviews. For the past few chapters I keep thinking there's only two more chapters (which have been sketched out for quite some time) but then I come up with something else. But this time I really do think it's only two more chapters.


	21. Chapter 21

As they began walking back to the Abbey, a walk that during the years he and Sybil had lived at _Greystones_ he had done hundreds of times, Tom realized if they took a slight detour they could visit Yew Tree Farm.

There he could visit the only person, other than Mary, from his days here as a chauffeur.

"Who is Mrs. Parker?" asked Aine.

"I'm sure you've heard us talk about Daisy" Tom answered. "You've been eating her jams and marmalades with your toast this week at breakfast. When I was the chauffeur she was the assistant cook to Mrs. Patmore."

"Every Christmas she sends a box of the most marvelous jams and marmalades and compotes" Ciara explained to her cousin "and several kinds of biscuits. I'm sure you've had some when you've visited."

Tom chuckled "but probably not the marinaded oranges." Grinning, his arm wrapping around Ciara and bringing her head to his chest, he continued "those seem to disappear from the box before I even get to have one."

Ciara giggled. "Now Grand Da I think you're exaggerating!"

 _Tom opened the door to his house and was immediately hit with the aroma of freshly baked biscuits. This was the third time this week Sybil was baking, he needed to ask her if she was expecting an army to drop in over the Christmas holidays._

 _As he took off his overcoat and scarf and hung them on the rack just inside the door, he could hear laughter coming from the kitchen. He stood there listening to that delightful sound of joy from his ten year old granddaughter Ciara._

 _He picked up the box that the postman had left on their front porch and carried it into the kitchen._

 _He thought the grin Ciara flashed was for him but her words quickly dispelled that notion._

" _Oh it finally came" she called as she dashed over to take the large box from Tom's hands._

" _I think this is too heavy for you love" Tom stated as he carried the box to the kitchen table with an excited Ciara trailing behind him._

 _Tom had barely placed the box on the kitchen table, when Ciara reached for a knife to cut the string wrapped around the box._

" _Ciara!" Sybil called. "I don't think that box is addressed to you sweetheart."_

" _But Grand Ma it's the Christmas box from Daisy" Ciara retorted as if that explained everything._

 _As Ciara bent down, intent on her work opening the box, Sybil and Tom stared at each other, silently nodding their heads, both smiling, as Ciara opened the box. Without even looking up, she handed the card, which was on laying on top of the contents of the box, to her grandmother and then began rummaging through the box pulling out some jars and containers while leaving others in the box._

 _Finally finding the one she was searching for, her face glowing, Ciara held up a jar of marinated oranges. Then she let out a squeal as she realized there was a second jar of the marinated oranges. "Oh Grand Ma look! Mrs. Parker sent two jars this year!"_

 _In a most serious tone and with a stern look on his face Tom stated "Good. Maybe I'll be able to have some this year."_

 _Ciara looked in alarm at her grandfather. "Oh Grand Da I …" she couldn't complete her thought before Tom broke out laughing.  
_

"When I first came to Downton Daisy worked in the kitchens. She was probably only fifteen or sixteen." Tom stopped walking.

"She had already been working at Downton for a couple of years. It wasn't unusual for girls as young as eleven or twelve to go into service."

"Eleven!" both girls seemed to cry out at once. "How awful!" Aine whispered.

"There wasn't much work and wages were really low. Men couldn't support their families" Tom remarked his voice dripping with bitterness. "Children were sent out to work … in factories or on farms. Some, like Daisy, went to live and work at large estates where they had the most menial jobs, rarely to see their families again."

 _Sybil paused at the entrance to the garage taking in the now so familiar sight of Branson's lower legs and feet sticking out from under the motor car. Often he would hear her approach, whether it was her shoes crunching the gravel on the drive or the tap-tap-tap of her shoes hitting the cement floor of the garage, he'd know she was there._

 _But not today for there was such a racket coming from under the car both from the wrench, she guessed it was a wrench since that was the only tool she was familiar with, and the curses he emitted, he never heard her footsteps. She should have turned around and left him to his work but she rather curious as to what had so ruffled the usually placid chauffeur._

 _After a particularly loud and colorful curse, a wrench came flying out from under the car barely missing Sybil's foot as it went skidding past her. There was a moment or two of complete silence after the wrench came to rest on the gravel drive before Branson, uttering another curse or two, pushed himself out from under the car. However in his current state of distress he didn't notice Sybil standing far to his left just inside the garage door._

" _Not having a good day Branson?" Sybil quipped._

 _He was startled by the sound of her voice and quickly pushed himself into a standing position. His face was red from both frustration and embarrassment. "I'm sorry milady, you shouldn't have had to witness that."_

 _Sybil, waving her hand in the air as if to push away his words, commented "Actually it's nice to see that you're not always so cool and calm."_

 _Seeing his puzzled expression she continued. "You are always so sure of yourself, so full of confidence."_

 _He emitted a quiet laugh while thinking if only she knew how unsure he was of himself especially in matters pertaining to her._

" _But I'll admit I'm not quite sure of some of those phrases you were using. Were you speaking Irish?"_

 _Once again his face flushed red. "I figure if I speak in Irish then if anyone overhears they …" He wanted to say they couldn't be offended but she interrupted him._

" _I'm just surprised … you always seem to know what to do …" Sybil suddenly found herself blushing "I mean concerning the car."_

" _Oh I know what to do it's just that the bolt is too tight."_

 _She nodded her head as if she understood what he was talking about._

" _How did you learn so much about motor cars?"_

 _Tom finished wiping his hands on the clean rag he always kept nearby. "I started working in a train repair depot when I was ten. I was always so interested in mechanical things" he paused to smile at the memory. "My Da worked there so it gave me a chance to be near him."_

 _There was so much in those sentences that Sybil wanted to know more about for in their talks Branson had rarely mentioned his father but she was also struck by the thought of his working at ten years old._

" _You started working at ten?" her voice clearly exposed her concern._

" _It was part time after school." He leaned against his work table. "But my school work always came first. I was lucky my parents put an emphasis on school. They were determined that we were educated or learned a trade."_

 _His eyes clouded over. "It was only after my father died that money became an issue. I had to quit school which broke my mother's heart. I was able to get an apprenticeship and then …" he shrugged his shoulders._ " _I was luckier than a lot of others."_

Tom paused in his walking to take a deep breath. He knew he could get overwrought on this topic. Looking at the lovely faces of his granddaughters he was just glad that neither they nor any of his other grandchildren had experienced such poverty nor for that matter had his own children.

"Anyway, Daisy eventually became the assistant cook and then the cook but she left that to come to here to Yew Tree Farm. She married a former footman at the Abbey who runs the farm while she operates a successful business selling her own products."

Tom couldn't remember the last time he had seen Daisy but he always thought of her as that young girl working beside Mrs. Patmore so it was a bit of a shock to see the gray haired woman who answered his knock at the door.

Greeting him with a broad smile she stated "Mr. Branson! Oh I'm so delighted to see you."

Tom returned her warm greeting "It's good to see you too Daisy. You're looking well."

She opened the door and beckoned them to enter the house. "Please come in. I heard you were visiting with your granddaughters."

The house had a large room that was kitchen, dining room and lounge and this is where she led them. Motioning for them to sit, Daisy busied herself filling the tea kettle and putting it on the stove. Finishing that she turned back to Tom and he introduced the girls.

"I remember how exciting it was when your mother was born" Daisy said to Ciara. "There had never been a baby in the house since I came there. I was so thrilled when Lady Sybil brought her down to the servants hall and I got to hold her."

Her eyes darkened a bit, looking directly at Tom she quietly spoke "I was sorry to hear about Lady Sybil's death. She was always so pleasant and so kind."

"When I first came to Downton one of my jobs was to light the fires in some of the downstairs rooms so that the rooms would be warm when the family came downstairs. I'd also attend to the fires in the girls' bedrooms so it wouldn't be cold when they got out of bed. Those were the only times I was allowed in the family's quarters but I wasn't supposed to talk to them."

"Sometimes Lady Sybil would be awake even though it was so early in the morning. She'd be laying in bed reading a book or just looking out the window. But she'd always say good morning to me and ask how I was doing."

 _Daisy had never had a bed to herself until she came to Downton. She couldn't imagine having a whole room to herself and especially not one as big and as nice as the Crawley daughters had. Lady Mary and Lady Edith had never spoken to her. They always seemed to still be asleep when she entered their rooms to tend to the fireplace. Oh how nice it must be to sleep until you wanted to wake up! Especially under those fluffy looking covers._

 _Lady Sybil, with a beautiful robe wrapped around her, was sitting by the window staring out at the still dark sky when Daisy entered the room. At the sound of Daisy coming in the room, she turned and said a cheery "Good Morning" in that throaty voice of hers that Daisy thought sounded so lovely. But the voice so suited the beautiful Lady Sybil who was only a couple of years older than Daisy._

 _Daisy was busy with the fire when Lady Sybil called out "Daisy come here. Come see the gorgeous sun rise."_

 _Daisy rose from in front of the fireplace and came to stand in front of the window. It was a beautiful sight, the sky was filled with orange and red streaks with the yellow sun just peeking through, Daisy had never seen anything like it. Although she was always up before sun rise, Daisy couldn't remember if she had ever actually seen the sun rise before._

 _She let out a small gasp. "It is so beautiful. I had no idea."_

" _I don't think there is anything as beautiful as a sunrise" Lady Sybil remarked. "Well maybe the sunset. But I think I like the sunrise better because it is the beginning of something rather than the end."_

"Sometimes we'd chat for a few minutes. Lady Sybil was like that … she … it didn't matter to her that I was just the scullery maid."

The girls could tell by her voice and her wistful look how sincere Daisy was. Glancing at her grandfather Aine noted the smile on his face as he took in the wonderful words Daisy spoke about Grand Ma.

"Daisy is the person who taught your Grand Ma how to cook." Tom smiled at Daisy.

"It was hard for me to imagine that someone didn't even know how to make tea" Daisy replied. "But she was willing to get her hands dirty, she was a quick learner" Daisy continued "although not everything turned out that well!"

 _As he did most mid-mornings, Tom went to the servants hall in hopes of finding the newspaper which Carson would leave on the table for anyone to read. As usual, he'd try to wrangle a cup of tea and a scone or two from Mrs. Patmore but this morning he stopped in the entryway of the kitchen to take in the sight before him._

 _To his amazement, Sybil, wearing a white apron over her clothes, was standing at the stove stirring something in a pot. Daisy was standing beside her giving her instructions._

" _Are you going to stand there gawking Mr. Branson or is there something you want?" Mrs. Patmore barked._

 _At Mrs. Patmore's words, Sybil turned around and looked at Tom with a sly smile on her face. Before Sybil could say anything Daisy spoke to her and drew her attention back to the pot she was stirring._

" _Well Mr. Branson?"_

 _Without taking his eyes off Sybil, Tom said "I … I thought ... I wondered"_

 _Mrs. Patmore was rather amused watching the chauffeur watch Lady Sybil and the usually gifted speaker suddenly be tongue-tied._

" _I just wondered if you had any more of those delicious scones" Tom finally managed to say._

" _Over there where I always leave 'em for ya" Mrs. Patmore pointed to a plate on the counter next to where Tom was standing. The cook not known for her sentimentality had been charmed by the young Irish lad since his earliest days at Downton. Instead of moving, Tom continued to stare at Sybil._

" _Shall I find you an apron Mr. Branson? We have some dishes that need washing."_

 _Tom's face flushed red. He took the plate with two scones on it, murmured "Thank you" and left the room._

 _Later in the afternoon, Tom lingered after luncheon, long after the others had returned to their duties, thinking he'd see Sybil again but when he rose to take his empty tea cup to the kitchen, Mrs. Patmore and Mrs. Hughes were standing in the doorway conversing blocking Tom's way._

" _I'll take that Mr. Branson" Mrs. Patmore said as she reached out for the cup._

 _Looking first at Mrs. Patmore and then Mrs. Hughes, Tom knew he had no hope of seeing Sybil in the kitchen again._

 _He didn't see her again until late the next evening when she came to the garage. She was carrying something covered by a cloth so he had no idea as to what it was._

 _He smiled broadly at her as she entered the garage. "I thought you were going to nursing school not cooking school."_

" _Well" she began "cousin Isobel thought I should probably learn some basics before I go."_

 _She took her customary seat on the work bench, carefully holding the parcel in her lap. "I don't want to look like a fool or be thought of as a lazy rich debutant."_

 _Tom was impressed with how earnest she was. "I want to do well Branson. I want to fit it."_

" _I think that's very commendable."_

" _So" a sly smile spreading across her face "how did you like the green beans with almondine sauce at dinner?"_

 _He clutched his stomach. "Is that what it was called? Almondine sauce? I feel like it's a clump just sitting right here."_

 _Sybil's face, which only a moment before had looked glowing, crumbled._

" _It probably would have been alright if I hadn't had that second helping" he paused "or had three of those bread rolls."_

 _She raised her eyes to look into his, her face a blank mask. Alarmed that his joke had fallen flat, Tom stepped towards her. Forgetting all propriety, he reached out his hand to touch her arm and called her only by her first name. "Sybil I …"_

 _She held up the parcel in her hands. "I guess this means you don't want this cake."_

" _Sybil it was delicious. I swear it was wonderful, the beans were seasoned just perfect and the rolls were moist and"_

 _Sybil began chuckling. "Oh Branson I know it was delicious because I tasted it. Even Mrs. Patmore said I did a good job."_

 _Afraid that he had hurt her feelings Tom was glad to hear her laugh. He deeply sighed, releasing all the tension that had suddenly griped his body. "Next time I won't try to make a joke."_

" _Oh you think there's going to be a next time?"_

" _I hope so… I hope so" he gaily replied and giving her what he hoped was his most disarming smile he reached for the cake._

"It meant so much to me" Tom stated "that she was willing to try, that she wanted to learn to cook. Seeing her in that kitchen, working side by side with you and the other girls, I knew I had a chance."

During her days at Downton many mistook her youth and naivety for simplemindedness. Daisy's eyes widen as she looked at Tom. "Do you mean you fancied her even back then?"

In reply Tom chuckled "I think I fancied her from almost the first time I saw her."

Daisy looked at the girls. "Well it was certainly a shock to us downstairs when they announced they were getting married."

 _Dinner was finished but some of the servants lingered at the table having a second cup of tea or just enjoying their free time. It was that time of day when for much of the staff work was finally done baring any last minute demands from the family. There was still work do be done by the valet and the ladies maids once the family decided to retire to their bedrooms and of course the kitchen still had the cleaning up of the myriad of dishes from both the family's and the servants' dinners._

 _With the rare occurrence of Mr. Carson retiring early to his bed, they finally felt free to discuss the topic that had shattered the carefully groomed order of his world._

" _She's always been a silly girl, spoiled rotten" O'brien's voice dripped with her usual venom._

 _Daisy, who was gathering the remains of that evening's dinner, spoke up "I think it's rather romantic."_

 _O'brien, not bothering to look at Daisy, "living in some Dublin slum, doing her own cooking and cleaning, why yes that sounds just like my idea of something romantic."_

" _I don't think they'll be living in a slum" Anna chimed in "he does have a job." Although she was privileged to much more information that any of those sitting at the table, she would never divulge that information to anyone other than Bates._

" _Journalist … yes that will keep her living in luxury. I doubt she lasts a month before she'll be back here begging forgiveness for her foolishness."_

" _I don't know O'brien" Thomas spoke up. "I worked with her at the hospital and I must say she's a hard worker. Didn't shirk her responsibilities no matter how gory or messy."_

 _While O'brien rolled her eyes, Daisy added "and she worked in the kitchens with us just like she was one of us she did."_

" _She's not like those other two" Thomas continued "she's not uppity."_

 _O'brien stared at Thomas the only one she ever considered as a like minded soul. "Soft are you for her?"_

" _I like her … as well as one can like their sort. She's always treated me well." Thomas wouldn't be drawn into disparaging Lady Sybil. He had seen her weep for the men in her care, had seen her put her heart into her work, only asking to be treated as any other nurse._

" _I bet his lordship is ruing the day he hired him. He was trouble from the beginning with his spouting that political nonsense and taking advantage" O'brien's vehemence now turned to Branson._

 _Daisy, who had stacked the plates on the table but stood there listening to the conversation rather than return to the kitchen spoke up. "I like Mr. Branson. He's nice and so smart."_

 _Anna smiled at Daisy. "He is nice and intelligent. I think we'll miss him here. And I do wish them the best."_

 _Thomas rose from his chair signaling his intention to leave. "I'll agree with that … not the part about missing him but that I wish them the best or her anyway."_

"Believe me it was just as shocking upstairs" Tom laughed. "Actually I'm not sure who took it worse Sybil's father or Mr. Carson."

"Mr. Carson the butler?" Ciara asked.

"He was very much enamored with the aristocracy. I remember him asking if I felt no shame at what I had done." Tom shook his head at the memory. "He wouldn't let me say a proper goodbye to those I had worked with for all those years."

 _Tom was leaning against one of the tall stone pillars that formed the front gate of Downton waiting for Sybil. He could have gone up to the front doors, those imposing wooden doors with the fierce wolf heads that he had been forbidden to enter as the chauffeur, but he doubted Mr. Carson would allow him entry even though he was no longer the chauffeur. Furthermore, he didn't really want to see any of Sybil's family; at least not until they had a day or two to calm down._

 _He knew Mr. Carson certainly wouldn't allow him in the servants area so he had no choice but to wait here for Sybil. They had agreed last night he would come here today and they'd go somewhere quiet to talk. They still had to decide exactly when they would leave for Ireland._

 _As Tom stood there he looked around the grounds of what had been his home for the past six years. Not that there was much to see from here since the drive curved just past this entrance making the house invisible from here. Maybe that's why Sybil had chosen this spot, if any of her family looked out a window they wouldn't able to see him._

 _He was leaning against the pillar with his eyes closed when he heard footsteps on the drive. He smiled even before opening his eyes thinking it would be Sybil but to his surprise it was Mrs. Hughes._

" _Mrs. Hughes" Tom said politely. He was actually glad to see her since she hadn't been in the servants hall yesterday when he made his final appearance there._

" _Mr. Branson" she returned his greeting, her voice giving no hint as to her feelings._

 _Tom had always liked her. She was stern but fair and in many ways reminded him of his own mother. "I guess you've heard the news" he simply stated._

" _I have Mr. Branson and I must say I'm surprised."_

 _Tom's furrowed his brows in bewilderment at her words. "I would have thought you would be the one person that wasn't surprised."_

" _And I thought you'd heed my words."_

" _But I'm not leaving with no job or a broken heart."_

 _Mrs. Hughes looked searchingly at Tom's face and nodded. "I may not like that you've deceived us these past years …"_

" _I'm sorry about that" Tom cut in "but society wouldn't let us openly…" he shrugged his shoulders._

 _Mrs. Hughes chuckled. "And neither one of you care much for what society thinks."_

 _Tom shrugged once again, what was there to say._

" _Maybe that's part of what drew you together" Mrs. Hughes stated._

" _I love her" Tom said quietly. "I've loved her for so long."_

 _Mrs. Hughes was struck by how earnest he sounded. She had no doubt he was speaking the truth._

" _I've known her since she was a little girl probably about six or seven. She was a delightful child so full of energy and curious about the world around her. It didn't take much to see that this house was too confining for her."_

 _Tom snorted. "Then you saw more than her family."_

" _People see what they want to see my lad."_

 _Both fell silent, Tom looking straight ahead at the woods while Mrs. Hughes stared in the direction of the long drive leading to the house where the figure of Lady Sybil suddenly appeared._

 _He must have sensed her approaching because he turned his head in the direction of the drive. The broad smile Sybil had diminished when she realized Mrs. Hughes was standing beside Tom. Nevertheless, when she finally reached them her hand automatically reached out for Tom's._

" _Mrs. Hughes" Sybil acknowledged her presence._

" _Lady Sybil" Mrs. Hughes returned. "Well I best be going."_

 _She turned in the direction of the village but quickly turned around again facing Tom and Sybil._

" _I think the two of you are in for a hard road ahead but if anyone can meet those challenges I think you two can." She smiled warmly at the two of them. They do look so suited to each other she thought and silently prayed that God would bless them. "I do wish you both the very best."_

 _Sybil was overcome with emotion that someone finally acknowledged them. She broke out in a smile that lit up her face and leaned forward to hug Mrs. Hughes. "Thank you that means so much to me … to us."_

 _Mrs. Hughes was overwhelmed by Lady Sybil's unexpected affection. It had been a long time since the child had sat on her lap as she talked to her or more likely had wiped away her tears as she attended her cuts and scratches._

 _Fearing she might even shed a tear or two, Mrs. Hughes started walking away from the couple. She had taken a few strides when Tom had caught up with her._

" _I know I can't come back to the servants hall so I don't know if I'll see you before we leave. But I just want to thank you for your kindness to me over the years."_

 _Without breaking stride Mrs. Hughes smiled at Tom. "You brought a bit of sunshine into the gray of the servants quarters. That cheekiness …" she turned back and looked at Lady Sybil "I think that served you well."_

"Asking me if I had no shame!" Tom shook his head in disgust. "What did I have to be ashamed about … how could I be ashamed I fell in love?"


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: As always thanks to Tammy and the two guests (I imagine it's always the same two) for their reviews. It does give me incentive to go on writing.

The motor car route to the Estate Agent's house had been a roundabout route with gently rolling fields of green grass on either of the side of the narrow road. It was so picturesque with the fields dotted with trees and shrubs and sheep grazing on the grass. The walk back to the Abbey was a more direct route through a small wooded area with a wide well-worn foot path that opened into another green field with bushes of white or purple lilac blooms perfuming the air with their sweet scent before ending in another one of the estate's magnificent gardens.

"It's like having your house in the middle of a grand park" Aine declared as the trio made their way back to the house.

"But I wonder how much did the family actually see or use?" Ciara asked.

"Mary was quite the horsewoman so she was familiar with all the places to go riding. Edith was more the garden type like her mother. They'd sit in the gardens and read a book or write letters. Robert …" Tom paused.

"Robert" Tom continued "walked his dogs around but I think he saw the estate more as his birthright and his source of income."

"I think it was your grandmother who used the grounds the most. Unlike her sisters, as a child she'd escape to the outdoors to play. And then of course" he paused smiling at the sudden memories. "we used the grounds as a way of getting to know each other."

" _Branson are you doing anything this afternoon?"_

" _You're in luck milady" Tom cheerily responded "I've just finished polishing the Renault. So I am rather free at the moment." Even if he had been busy he would have stopped just to spend time with her._

" _Good." Sybil nodded her head up and down rather aggressively. "Then you can take me for a drive." The way she said it wasn't a question but rather a demand._

" _Of course. When would you like to go?"_

" _Why right now!" She exclaimed as she made for the back passenger door._

 _He raised his eyebrow at her aggressiveness since it wasn't her normal demeanor at all._

" _Where is it you want to go?"_

" _Just for a ride, someplace on the estate, doesn't really matter where."_

 _Now he was really curious. "Fighting with your sisters?" he teased._

 _His question stopped her from opening the door, instead she turned to look at him, her eyes blazing. Now he panicked wondering if he had overstepped the boundaries of their budding friendship._

 _Instead of speaking she just looked at him for a moment or two and then, without waiting for him, hastily opened the motor car's door and quickly took her seat in the back. Tom buttoned his jacket and grabbed his hat from the work table. As he got into the driver's seat he wondered what was bothering her since she wasn't acting at all like her normal self. He had never known her to open the motor car door instead waiting for him to do so, as protocol required, even when it was just the two of them._

 _He drove the car out of the garage and started towards the road for the village but Sybil found her voice and started giving him directions._

 _Her destination was a field covered in wildflowers that blanketed the field in hues of blues, reds, purples, and pinks. As she requested, he stopped the car and turned around to ask her if she wanted to get out or did she just want to take in the view from the motor car._

" _It is beautiful isn't it Branson" she said as they stood by the side of the motor car looking out across the field._

" _Aye it is" he replied. "Actually I've never seen anything like it."_

" _You don't have wildflowers in Dublin?"_

 _He shook his head. "Not much greenery in my area of town let alone flowers."_

 _She took her eyes off the field of wildflowers and looked at him. "I've never asked you about your home in Dublin. I mean what it's like where your family lives."_

" _Nothing like anything around here. The houses are all pretty much the same, two story brick attached houses. There's no front gardens only a sidewalk separates the houses from the street. Luckily, I guess, there's not many motor cars so we kids used the street as our playground."_

" _There's a park about a block away with trees and we'd play there. I always thought it seemed so … as a kid it seemed so large but it's really only the size of five or six houses." He waved his arm in the air. I guess that's why when I see all this land I'm just amazed."_

 _They stood in companionable silence each lost in their own thoughts._

" _I've been lucky" Sybil started "having all this land to explore. It's always been my escape … from my family … from …"_

 _She stopped talking. Tom wasn't sure she wanted him to say something but he didn't think him talking about how he and his friends would have loved a place like this to place was appropriate when there was something clearly on her mind._

" _It seems like the only conversations Mama can have these days is about my season." Sybil finally spoke. "All she talks about are my clothes, the invitations she expects I'll receive, the families she wants me to meet." She turned and glared at him "what she really means is the sons she wants me to meet."_

" _I mentioned today that I wanted some time to explore a bit of London maybe go to the British Museum. That I so wanted to go to Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park." Sybil, clearly agitated, suddenly started pacing, "You would have thought I asked to go to the moon."_

 _She stopped pacing and doing a perfect imitation of her mother said "Really Sybil, I stood up for you regarding the canvasing but … your duty is to ensure you have a successful season which I'm afraid does not include political activities."_

 _Returning to her normal voice she continued "I was looking forward to my season. I love dancing and I'll see friends I haven't seen in a while and I thought I'd be able to see a bit of London."_

" _Oh Branson" Sybil sighed heavily. "I just wish they'd see me for who I am. I just wish they'd let me be me."_

"You mean when you were courting" Ciara remarked and both girls giggled.

"We never properly courted" Tom retorted. "Courting would be my taking her to a dance or to the pub for a drink or a walk after church. As I said when we visited the garage that was where most our conversations took place other than in the motor car. Trouble was Sybil wasn't supposed to be there and anyone could see us or hear us.

" _I'll stay at Downton until you want to run away with me."_

" _Don't be ridiculous"_

" _You're too scared to admit it, but you're in love with me."_

 _They had been so intense in their conversation that neither was aware of Mary's looming presence. It was only when she spoke to him, asking about taking her to Ripon, that they became aware of her. Neither was sure just what Mary had overheard if anything at all._

" _I've told Mary about us." She hadn't explained that Mary had questioned her presence at the garage or more accurately her talking with him._

 _Tom's eyes were fixated on the now closed garage doors as if he stared long enough and hard enough she would come back. He shook his head in disgust wondering how he could have been so stupid. Picking up the nearest thing sitting on the work table, which just happened to be a wrench, Tom threw it across the garage where it loudly banged against one of the wooden doors before falling to the floor and then skidding halfway across the floor before coming to a rest against one of the wheels of the Renault._

 _She had been so close, so close to finally admitting she loved him, Tom was sure of it. Then … then he had ruined it all._

" _What work? Bringing hot drinks to a lot of randy officers? This isn't a hospital, it's a holiday home."_

 _Tom sat on the work bench, his head in his hands, murmuring "idiot" over and over again._

 _He should have run after her to explain what he meant. He knew more than anyone else here how much her nursing meant to her and how hard she worked to be seen as just one of the nurses, to be Nurse Crawley and not Lady Sybil. He had seen her with her patients at the cottage hospital, he had seen her with her uniform apron red with blood from a wounded soldier, he had seen her weep when a patient had died, he had seen her rejoice when a patient had covered well enough to go home. He had listened to her stories, her face glowing as she talked about patients, about new techniques, about assisting in operations._

 _It was too late now to go running after her for she'd be at the house by now. Oh how could he have been so stupid?_

 _He had been angry. Not at her but at himself and the world in which he found himself; a world in which he was not supposed to talk to her or touch her or even think he was worthy of her unlike those so called officers and gentlemen that filled the convalescent home Downton had become._

 _They were free to talk to her, to walk with her on the great lawn. He should have told her how he had overheard some of them talking about her and the other nurses and what they would like to do with them, how demeaning they had been. He was forming in his head what he could say to them when Isabel came into the great hall and seeing him, his arms full with boxes of bandages and medicines, told him to follow her to the supply room._

 _Not surprisingly Sybil did not come to the garage the next day. He knew he had hurt her and he had to make this right._

 _He hadn't originally planned to attend the convalescent talent show but he knew Sybil would be there and he thought this would give him an opportunity to speak to her._

 _Arriving early thinking this would give him his best chance of speaking to her, he saw her working with another nurse and two or three uniformed soldiers setting up the chairs for the audience. Without being asked he got to work moving chairs hoping that he'd have the chance to speak to her. Although he knew she was aware of him, she kept her eyes focused on her work never looking in his direction and never uttering a word to him._

 _When the last chairs had been put in place, Tom suddenly found himself alone with her as the soldiers headed back to their lounge accompanied by the other nurse._

 _Fearing she was going to walk off leaving him alone, Tom quickly walked up to her. "I had no right to talk to you like that last night. I didn't mean to belittle you or your work."_

 _Sybil, standing beside him, stiffened her posture, still not looking at him but rather staring straight ahead. She began running her hands down the clean white apron of her nurses uniform. "No you didn't" her voice had an unfamiliar edge to it._

" _It's just that …" Tom reached out and touched her arm. She turned her head to look at his hand on her arm, her eyes wide in surprise, yet she didn't move._

" _You are a great nurse … You're just capable of so much more than the work here in the convalescent home. These men here don't need you, the hospital does."_

 _He knew her so well yet he couldn't read the expression on her face. "Sybil please -" Suddenly they were no longer alone in the room. Sybil nodded at him, a slight smile on her face, before heading for the doorway to help the incoming soldiers to their seats._

 _The servants were all gathered at the back of the room standing behind the chairs that were occupied by the family and the convalescing soldiers. Tom quietly edged his way from among the servants to standing next to but just slightly behind Sybil who, wearing her nursing uniform, was standing with the other nurses._

 _All eyes were focused on the front of the room where Mary was singing accompanied by Edith playing the piano. All eyes that is except Tom's for his were focused solely on Sybil._

 _Sybil stood facing the front of the room. He wasn't sure she even knew he was standing so close to her until slowly her hand reached out for his. Although she never turned to look at him, instead staring straight ahead at her sisters, a smile came over her face as he took her hand._

Their walk had brought them to the Monks Garden which was originally cultivated by the monks who had once resided at the Abbey four or five hundred years ago Tom told his granddaughters. Tom doubted there were any plants from that time or even that their garden had looked anything like the present day garden but the name had stuck.

The highlight, or at least the most eye catching feature, of the garden was the yew bushes that were formed into arches over the garden walkway. Between two of these yew arches the walkway formed a circle the middle of which was a flower bed now fully in bloom. There were several white wrought iron benches around the circle and it was at one of these benches that Tom stopped and motioned for the girls to sit with him.

Looking at Ciara he stated "this was probably your mother's favorite place to play." He pointed to one of the arches. "She loved to play hide and seek around the arches."

"And your mother" he smiled at Aine "took her first steps here. It might have even been from this very bench."

"Sybil and Aoife were playing around the arch, I was sitting here on the bench and Roisin was standing holding onto the bench. Aoife let out a squeal of laughter which caught Roisin's attention." Tom chuckled at the memory. "Guess she wanted to get in on the fun and she took her first steps toward them."

"Of course she only took four or five steps before falling on her bum."

Tom put an arm around each granddaughter and pulled them in close. "It seems funny to be sitting here … what almost 45 years later … with their daughters."

Tom looked at his watch and realizing the time said "Mary's expecting us for luncheon. Why don't you two go on and in her words" he did a fine imitation of Mary "and freshen up."

Tom smiled. "I'll follow shortly but I'd just like to sit here a few minutes more."

Aware that their grandfather liked some time alone with his memories as he had at the garage, both girls nodded and Aine remarked "Of course Grand Da."

As the girls drifted off, Tom heard Aine tell Ciara that she couldn't wait to talk to her mum about the stories he and Mary had told them during their stay here. The thought that the girls had enjoyed learning about the past warmed his heart and he briefly wondered if some day one of them would bring their own child here to Downton.

A slight breeze kicked up spreading the scent of roses into the air. It was a scent Tom was so familiar with. One of the reasons they had bought the Dublin house he stilled lived in was for the large lawn in the back of the house. Sybil loved flowers and they had created a lovely garden while leaving room for a lawn for the children to play on.

"It's one of the things I miss from Downton" she'd say as she planted another variety of rose bush until finally there was a rose hedge along both sides of the yard. While roses were her favorite she also planted what she called a cutting garden, plants whose flowers were perfect for making bouquets. During spring and summer the air in their garden was always perfumed with roses and lavender. Much like this garden he was now sitting in he thought.

For a moment Tom looked at one of the arches and could picture three year old Aoife, dressed in a light green dress with tiny dark green shamrocks embroidered roses across the top, her dark curly hair held back from her face with a dark green ribbon, standing just inside the arch peeking out waiting for her mother or father to come around the bush. She'd then giggle and run the other way.

Although his mother had made several dresses from the same pattern but in different colors that dress had been one of Aoife's favorites. She called it her Irish dress and when she wore it she'd remark to her grandfather Robert it was Irish like her.

But it hadn't been just Aoife and Roisin that had enjoyed this garden. Eamon and Aedan had also enjoyed playing here on their visits to Downton. At least it was the one place outdoors they played where they'd stay relatively clean. He could still picture the look on Mary's face when the boys, including her George and Arthur, would come back from playing in the woods or creek, their clothes and faces streaked with dirt, their shoes often muddy.

It's funny how much I always wanted to leave this place Tom thought. All those years as the chauffeur I just stayed waiting for Sybil to agree to go to Ireland with me. Then when we were living here I was just biding my time till I could return to Ireland.

He looked around the garden and to the sight of the Abbey, sitting on a small rise, just barely visible over the garden wall. But I've had plenty of good times here too and made some wonderful friendships. Why has it taken me so long to realize?

" _I can't believe you've asked us over here for dinner and we're eating in the kitchen."_

" _I'm surprised Mary you even know what a kitchen looks like." Sybil retorted._

" _I have been in the Abbey's kitchen." Mary replied indignantly. She looked at Matthew and Tom who were sitting at the kitchen table and trying not to snicker. "Granted it's been quite some time."_

" _Probably not since you were a young girl and you'd pop into the kitchen looking for a biscuit or looking for Carson." Sybil retorted. The snickers from Matthew and Tom grew a little bit louder._

" _Well I have no reason to go into the kitchen. That's what we have Mrs. Patmore and her staff for."_

 _Mary took a seat at the large oak table that filled one end of the kitchen that ran the length of the back of the agent's house. "You do have a lovely dining room. I passed by it on the way into here."_

" _We find it much more pleasant to eat here" Sybil pleasantly responded. "It's more relaxed and informal."_

 _Even seven month old Aoife, sitting on her father's lap, mimicked her father and began to laugh. Mary reached over and patted her niece's head. "Don't worry little one I'll teach you about the finer things in life" Mary spoke to her niece._

 _The dinner was a simple one in keeping with Sybil's culinary skills. The conversation, as well as the wine, flowed freely._

" _You almost make me wish Matthew and I had our own house." At Mary's words Matthew set his glass down and looked at his wife with surprise._

" _I'm sure there is a cottage or two that is available" Tom piped up._

 _Mary rolled her eyes at her brother-in-law. "I said I almost wish not that I want."_

Everyone except Tom was seated in the dining room. Luncheon didn't have the same formality as dinner. There was no gathering in the drawing room with drinks before entering the dining room as a group. Luncheon was served at a set time and everyone was just expected to be in the dining room on time.

Ciara wasn't concerned about her missing grandfather. It wasn't like the other day at the graveyard when he had looked tired and weary, enveloped by sadness. No today when they left him he looked happy and content with his memories.

"I think the garden has him remembering some good times" Ciara stated. "He's probably just lost in his memories."

Even with the girls nonchalance, when he hadn't appeared by the time they had finished the soup, Mary was a bit worried.

"I'll go get him" Artie declared in response to his grandmother's concern.

It only took Artie five minutes to get to the Monks Garden. Walking through the brick archway, a part of the wall that surrounded the garden on two sides, Artie spotted Tom sitting on a bench between two of the yew arches.

Artie waved and called out as he approached but Tom didn't answer.

 _Tom leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He had been working on the account books since luncheon and he needed a break from dealing with figures. Opening his eyes he looked down at the account ledger, sighed deeply, and then turned his head to look out the large window next to his desk. He had placed his desk in just this position so he could gaze out the window frequently but as he looked at the scene beyond the window he realized it had been hours since he last looked._

 _Frowning, he rose from the desk to stand facing out the window. "oh feck" he said out loud as watched the snow falling. The ground was already covered with what looked like an inch or two of the white stuff. Realizing he had better leave now before the snow got too deep to drive in, closed the ledger leaving it lying on his desk, and put on his coat._

 _Luckily he had parked the motor car in the covered passageway that formed an entrance to this portion of the stable block that now consisted of his office, a large store room next to it, and two smaller unused rooms next to that._

 _The drive to the Estate Agent's house usually took half an hour but with the snow it was just over an hour before he made it home. The drive left him grumpy, tired, and cold but the house looked snug and inviting with smoke curling from the front parlor's chimney. It was only after he exited the motor car that he realized Aoife and Sybil were in the yard._

" _Daddy … Daddy …" yelled the little girl as she toddled, bundled in her heavy coat and boots that was about all she could manage, towards her father. "We're building a snow man."_

 _He picked Aoife up and kissed her cheek. "Are ya now" he remarked as he looked past her to where Sybil was standing. "Isn't it too cold out to be playing out here?"_

 _Before she could answer Tom felt something pelt his back. "What the …" he started as Aoife giggled._

" _Mummy threw a snowball" the little girl delightedly exclaimed_.

" _She did did she" Tom answered "well now …" Another snowball hit him only this time because he was bent over setting Aoife back on the ground the snowball landed on the scarf around his neck._

 _In one easy motion, he scooped up a fist full of snow, quickly packing it into a ball and threw it at his wife. It landed squarely on her chest._

 _For the next ten minutes Tom and Sybil were like little children darting around the snow covered yard trying to avoid the other's snow missiles while Aoife chased after first Tom and then Sybil giggling whenever one of the snowballs hit their target._

" _Okay … okay … I've had enough" Sybil finally called out as she stood trying to dust off the snow from her coat._

 _Tom walking up to her, smiling stated "I knew you'd call uncle first."_

 _Sybil gazed at her husband who was now standing so close, so close that he didn't see her hand until it was too late. Although this snowball wasn't thrown but rather gently tossed, his face was now covered with it._

 _Sybil squealed in delight at catching her husband unaware. Wiping the snow off his face Tom murmured "you're in for it now."_

 _But Sybil proved much nimbler then him. She grabbed Aoife and headed for the front door. Unfortunately they didn't make it inside before Tom's snowball, missing its intended target, just grazed Sybil's shoulder and landed on Aoife's head._

 _Tom, stunned at hitting Aoife, stood there with his mouth agape, waiting for her tears. But little Aoife, proving she was her parents daughter, just laughed._

 _Later, their wet coats, hats, and gloves drying near the kitchen fireplace, their clothes replaced by warm pajamas, all three sat on the sofa in front of the parlor's fireplace._

 _Taking a sip of the hot chocolate Sybil had made, Tom was instantly warmed by the surprising taste of whiskey she had liberally added. With Sybil's head resting on his shoulder, his daughter sitting on his lap, Tom thought life doesn't get much better than this._

It wasn't until he was within whispering distance of the bench, that Artie realized the faint sound he was hearing was Tom's gentle snores. He sat down on the bench wondering if he should waken him but realizing he couldn't leave him here, Artie knew he had to.

"Uncle Tom" he called out softly while patting the older man's shoulder. "Uncle Tom."

"I'm not asleep" Tom answered. "I've just been dreaming."

Artie laughed. "Dreaming but not sleeping Uncle Tom?"

"It's just the memories Artie. One of the advantages of being old is you have so many memories. I shut my eyes and I think of another story from the past."


	23. Chapter 23

Mary, Tom and Howard lingered over tea at the dining room table long after everyone else had left the room and all the dishes, save their cups and saucers as well as the large tea pot, had been cleared away by Michael and Lucinda. It was Mary who finally suggested that since it was a lovely afternoon rather than continue sitting in the dining room or moving to the library, they should, provided Tom's morning walk hadn't tired him too much, take a short stroll outside. Assuring Mary that he had been refreshed by lunch, Tom readily agreed that the day was much too beautiful to remain inside.

One of the things that this trip had reminded Tom of was how gorgeous Downton was on an early summer day. Thought he loved Dublin and would never want to live anywhere else it was a city with the ensuing traffic, people and buildings. He and Sybil had built their own oasis in their back garden but it wasn't the same as being surrounded by or living in, as Aine had described Downton, a grand park.

A grand park that not only had gardens but also forests and open meadows, gently rolling hills some covered in trees and others only dotted with shrubs here and there, as well as valleys and lakes. Sheep or cows grazed in open fields while crops of wheat or barley grew in other fields. One could also catch sight of deer or rabbits.

And then of course there were those follies that were scattered about the estate.

 _Sybil had found that the war offered her more freedom that she had ever had. Her working as a nurse was tolerated if not truly accepted by her family. Even her mother, who was now busy with her own work at the convalescent home, no longer bemoaned Sybil's absences from the family's dinners._

 _And Sybil, being the person she was, took advantage of this lack of interest in her comings and goings. If she wasn't working or sleeping she would often be at the garage talking with Tom as she now called the chauffeur. After all, as she had told him, it seemed rather silly to call your friend by their last name rather than their Christian name._

" _Where is this place we're going?" Luckily the brightness of the full moon lighted the road which was now nothing more than a dirt track._

" _Actually I'm surprised you haven't been here" Sybil replied. "What with all your exploration of the grounds."_

" _If I have been here it would have looked different since I do my exploring in the day time" he paused as he turned around to look at her "I'm not a vampire."_

 _His words caused her to heartily laugh. "There are people, not just vampires, who enjoy the night especially went the sky is filled with stars. I mean you've never stopped to admire the stars or a full moon?"_

 _Tom raised his left eyebrow in amusement. "If I've been out late enough to see the full moon I've probably had a few too many pints and I certainly wasn't thinking about the moon."_

" _Oh and what were you thinking about?"_

 _As he looked at her through the rear view mirror, he narrowed his eyes to determine if she was joking but she looked so earnest reminding him once again how unworldly her upbringing was._

 _He was saved from answering when she called out "here it is!"_

" _It" was a building that Tom wasn't sure how to describe let alone imagine what it was used for. It was tall, round, with a domed top and had pillars going around the middle section. There was a door and many small windows around the ground floor but the middle section had only two or three very tall windows._

" _It's called the Temple of Diana" Sybil explained as she exited the motor car._

" _Doesn't look much like a Roman temple to me" Tom replied._

 _She raised her eyebrows "and how many Roman temples have you seen?"_

" _Plenty" he replied pausing before adding "in books."_

" _Well what it is isn't important." She walked past the building. Stretching her arms out before her she exclaimed "this is what's important."_

 _Tom was amazed at the sight before him. The so-called temple stood in the middle of a clearing on top of a small rise. The ground dipped slightly to reveal woods and hills in every direction. But it was the sky that was the attraction. The full moon looked so large and so close almost as if one could reach out and touch it._

" _It's beautiful!"_

" _I always thought the full moon would be a glorious sight from here" Sybil remarked._

 _Frowning, Tom uttered "You mean you've never been here?"_

" _Oh silly, how would I get here at night? It's a rather far walk and I can't imagine a ten year old me asking Pratt to bring me out here on a moonlit night."_

 _Tom laughed. "Well I guess it's a good thing I'm here now my lady." His words were out of his mouth before he realized how that sounded but there was no mistaking, in the light of the full moon, Sybil's blush. He was sure his face was just as red. "I meant … that … I mean that I'm able … I can" he stuttered terribly._

Without thinking about it, Mary guided the trio a short distance down the footpath that led to the village to what the family referred to as Mary's bench.

One would think that living in a house as large as Downton, it would be easy to find a place of quiet solitude but with servants coming and going throughout the house as they did their daily cleaning or other chores as well as the movements of the family members, it was hard to find just such a place.

For as long as Mary could remember there had been a bench under the huge Lebanon cedar tree whose branches spread out from its massive trunk making it almost as wide as it was tall. The tree was within sight of the house but a mound of tall bushes growing next to it kept the bench hidden from view. Sitting on the bench which was angled slightly away from the footpath, one had an unobstructed view across the lawn to the not too distant gently rolling hills whose color changed with the seasons making it in Mary's mind a perfect place to sit.

 _Eleven year old Mary was still seething as she hurried down the corridor to the staircase. Edith was just insufferable and that fool of a governess was too blind to notice Mary thought as she made her way down the stairs and into the Grand Hall. Luckily the hall was deserted so Mary was able to leave the house without anyone noticing._

 _As she often did Mary hurried to the bench under the large Lebanon cedar but instead of sitting she paced up and down muttering to herself. She felt something light hit her head but she just brushed it away as she continued to pace. She knew it was useless to bring up Edith's behaviour with her mother for she'd just tell her she needed to be kinder to Edith. As for the governess, it was their third one in less than two years so she didn't think her papa would take kindly to any suggestions of replacing her._

 _Again something hit her head and then her shoulder causing her to stop and look down but she didn't see anything on her dress. After a minute or two more of pacing up and down, Mary wore herself out and, sighing heavily, she plopped down on the bench. Only something again hit her head but this time it landed softly in her lap. She picked up an acorn. Mary looked up at the tree thinking where did this come from? Acorns don't grow on cedars. At least I think it's an acorn … maybe cedars have something like acorns._

 _With the acorn in her hand, Mary stood up and pulled down a branch that was within her reach if stood on her tip-toes and stretched her arm as far as she could. Examining it closely she saw the beginnings of some seed cones but nothing that resembled what she held in her hand._

 _As she looked at the branch, Mary could swear she heard a faint sound of giggling but looking around her she didn't see anyone. She shrugged her shoulders and once again sat down on the bench only this time feeling annoyed that she hadn't brought a book to read._

 _There it was again … that sound of giggling. Mary jumped up and walked towards the footpath but looking up and down the footpath she didn't see anyone in either direction. Returning to the bench she sat down but barely so before quickly jumping up as she felt something on the bench. The bench was now covered in acorns and the giggling had turned into a laugh. A laugh that she recognized._

 _She stood up and walked a couple of feet towards the footpath before quickly turning around hoping to catch Sybil but there was no Sybil in sight. Mary then walked completely around the mound of bushes that grew on one side of the huge cedar tree, stopping at times and looking around but she didn't catch sight of her five year old sister._

 _She walked completely around the bushes and found herself back in front of the bench where she sat down and as she did she once again heard giggling._

" _Sybil where are you?" she called._

" _Find me" came the playful reply._

 _Knowing Sybil's penchant for climbing trees Mary looked up but the branches were too far from the ground for Sybil to reach._

" _I see you Mary" followed by more giggling._

" _Show yourself right now."_

" _Turn around first."_

 _Mary did as she was told. "Hello Mary!" Sybil shouted from behind Mary but when Mary looked around all she saw was a dainty handkerchief laying on the ground._

" _Sybil!" Mary looked around. "If you don't show yourself right now I'll … I'll …" she tried thinking of something that would get Sybil's attention "I'll tell Papa that you've run away from your nanny again!"_

" _Oh no Mary … please" Sybil came running out from her hiding place in among the bushes, rushing towards her big sister, a look of dread on her face, "oh please don't tell Papa."_

 _Mary saw tears glistening in her sister's eyes causing her to feel ashamed of herself. She knelt down so she was face to face with her sister "I didn't mean it … I won't tell." She pulled Sybil into a hug. "I'd never tell on you."_

 _Sybil pulled away from her big sister. Folding her arms in front of her, standing there looking so defiant she asked "You mean it? You promise, never ever."_

 _Mary laughed at how serious Sybil was. "Darling I can't imagine why I'd ever want to tell on you. So yes I promise … never …ever to tell."_

 _Sybil must have been satisfied with Mary's answer because she wrapped her arms around Mary's waist. "You're the best big sister in the whole world."_

 _Mary sat back on the bench pulling Sybil next to her. "So tell me how do you escape?"_

" _It's quite easy Mary" Sybil began "nanny expects me to rest after our lunch but she's the one that falls asleep."_

" _So you make your escape while she's sleeping?" Sybil bobbed her head up and down. "But what if she wakes up and you're not there?"_

" _Oh she sleeps for quite a while" Sybil shrugged her shoulders "I'm not worried if she wakes up before I get back."_

 _Mary chuckled, that was so like her little sister, so full of life and happiness mingled with a bit of rebellion._

Since she was a child, Mary had come here to read a book or her letters. It was also where she'd come to sit in solitude admiring the view or to just think while oblivious to the view. This bench and Carson's office were her safe havens, the places of refuge for her.

"Ah we've come to Mary's favorite spot" Howard announced.

The bench was long enough for the three of them to sit comfortably. "I've been coming here for as long as I can remember" Mary stated. "Mostly to sit and read a book."

"Isn't that what a library's for?" Tom teased.

"When I was young it was hard to be alone in the library" Mary responded. "I wanted some place where I could have peace and quiet, a place away from Mama or Edith with their incessant chatter or worse yet questions."

Mary looked out at the broad sweep of hills. "I still come here and sit." She looked at Tom "I guess some habits are hard to break."

 _As she did so many mornings, Mary was sitting on the bench under the huge cedar tree reading a book. When she heard footsteps coming up the footpath, she looked up to find Matthew._

" _What brings you up here?"_

" _I was hoping for a word with your father" Matthew called out as he walked towards her "about one of the farms."_

 _Mary closed her book and laid it in her lap. She offered Matthew a warm smile. "He's probably in the library."_

 _Matthew nodded but made no move towards the house. "May I?" he asked as he gestured to the bench._

" _Of course."_

" _So anything new these days at the big house?"_

 _Without hesitation Mary responded "Sybil. She seems to have developed an interest in politics."_

 _Matthew nodded. "She was at the house yesterday speaking to mother. Something about a rally I think."_

" _Probably looking for an ally and a chaperon. Papa was quite angry when he had found she had gone to Ripon to hear the Liberal candidate speak. I hope your mother isn't encouraging her."_

" _I don't think so. I know she said no to whatever it was Sybil was asking."_

" _If it's not your mother then I wonder who is encouraging her? Mary knitted her brows in concentration. As far as she knew it was just Sybil and Branson that had gone to the speeches. Branson … could he be … no he's the chauffeur._

" _You look deep in thought."_

" _I'm just wondering if someone is encouraging Sybil."_

" _I assure you it's not mother. Who did she go to the speech with?"_

" _No one as far as I know" Mary responded. "Of course Branson drove her there but …"_

 _Matthew chuckled. "Do you think the Irish chauffeur is interested in English politics."_

" _Of course not" Mary snapped but still she wondered. What were his politics? And even if he were interested in politics why would Sybil be talking to him?_

The conversation flowed easily among the three old friends. Tom was glad that Howard had been able to return to Downton for the last couple of days of his visit for he enjoyed seeing and talking with him. They talked about Tom's trip, his children, and matters of the estate. However, when the conversation turned to automobiles, Mary decided to take her leave.

Mary had just reached the top of the grand stairs when she heard muffled voices. Walking down the corridor towards her bedroom, she saw the open door of Sybil's bedroom ahead of her. Although Sybil had shared the room with Tom for fifty years Mary still thought of it as Sybil's room. As she approached the open door, Mary could hear Aine and Ciara's voices.

Mary had only taken a step into the room when she stopped just inside the doorway, her eyes focused on Ciara sitting at the vanity table with her face reflected in the table's standing trifold mirror. At the sight of Ciara sitting there looking so much like a young Sybil, Mary emitted a slight gasp.

 _Mary slowly walked down the corridor, her head tilted downwards, her arms hanging straight down with her hands opening and closing into fists, each step just a bit slower than the one before it. Stopping just short of the closed door to Sybil's bedroom, she paused to take a couple of deep breaths before slowly opening the bedroom door._

 _Seeing Sybil sitting at her vanity table calmly arranging her unruly hair into a low chignon, Mary wasn't sure what she was going to say or do. She had so many emotions vying within her, fear for what lay ahead for her beloved sister, despair over the fracturing of her family, anguish at the thought of Sybil being so far away from her._

 _Spying Mary's image in the mirror that sat on top of the vanity table, Sybil's hands froze as she stared straight ahead into the mirror. The two sisters stared unblinking at each other through the mirror neither making a sound._

 _Finally Sybil laid her brush on the vanity table, inhaled deeply and turned to face Mary. Her husky voiced laced with defiance she spoke "If you're here to admonish me I've had enough of that from Papa and Granny."_

 _Slowly the corners of Mary's mouth turned upward ever so slightly not quite making into a full smile "I can imagine you have."_

 _She took a couple of hesitant steps deeper into the room. "I wasn't sure if you would be going down to breakfast" she began as her eyes wandered around the room looking for a breakfast tray but seeing no signs of such she continued "I thought you might like some reinforcements to help face whoever might be there."_

 _At Mary's words, Sybil stood and she rushed towards her oldest sister, holding out her arms. Mary accepted Sybil's hearty embrace although she didn't move her arms to hug her back._

" _I'm sorry Mary that Papa chastised you last night. I didn't mean for that to happen."_

 _With her arms still clasped around Mary's waist, Sybil leaned back to see directly into Mary's face. "Oh Mary … you don't hate me do you?" Sybil pleaded._

 _For the first time that morning Mary's face broke out in a genuine smile as she moved her head back and forth. "I could never hate you my darling even if you are leaving me here with just Edith."_

 _Sybil shook her head. "Oh Mary you mustn't say things like that."_

" _Always the peacemaker" Mary responded._

" _Was Papa hard on you last night after Tom and I left?"_

 _At the sound of Tom's name Mary winced. She still didn't understand why her lovely sister who had so much going for her would settle for the poor Irish chauffeur._

" _Don't worry about that" Mary replied. "I'm sure you have so much more to think about."_

" _I am grateful Mary that …" Sybil paused. She stepped back so that she was no longer embracing Mary. "That you never said anything … about Tom and me. I'm actually grateful that you caught us at the Swan Inn."_

 _Mary lifted her eyebrow as if questioning that remark but before she could respond Sybil continued "no matter what your motives were."_

 _Sybil walked across the room to stand in front of the windows where she looked out at the front lawn. "Regardless of what happened last night, it is better that we came forward and gave them a chance even if ..." she stopped talking as she recalled the harsh words her father had spoken._

 _Then turning again to face her sister Sybil asked. "You'll come to Dublin for the wedding?"_

 _Mary nodded. "Of course" she responded quietly._

" _I haven't really thought about the wedding itself. I mean I'm not sure what it will be like. But no matter what I want my family there."_

Hearing Mary's gasp, both Ciara and Aine, who was sitting on the bed, her arm wrapped around one of the bed posts, turned to look at her.

It was Aine who broke the silence. "Aunt Mary you look as though you've seen a ghost."

Mary smiled. "I'm sorry" she said as she walked into the room. "For just a moment I thought … it's just seeing you sitting there at her vanity table and looking so much like her when she was your age." Both girls smiled and nodded in understanding.

"This room is really a reflection of your grandmother" Mary said as she looked around the room. "I don't think it's changed since she moved in her at twelve."

Mary sat down on the edge of the bed on the side opposite of Aine. "When we were twelve we left the nursery for our own bedroom. We got to pick out which room we wanted from the ones in this wing and we could decorate it how we wanted."

"So Grand Ma picked out the furnishings?" Aine asked as she looked around the room.

Mary nodded. "The furnishings, the wall color, the decorations."

"She picked out most everything but there were some things that were gifts." Mary nodded towards the vanity table "that was from Granny and the gold clock on the mantle" all three heads turned towards the mantle "was from our grandmother in New York."

Mary stood up and walked over to the fireplace. She lightly traced her finger around the ornate gold clock before picking up the open hand fan displayed behind it. Looking at the fan Mary's face broke out in a smile "she loved this fan."

 _Mary gazed at Sybil who was sitting at her new vanity table looking at herself in the trifold mirror turning her head first left then right, her left hand touching her face just below each ear. She was quite bemused at her young sister's actions. It wasn't like Sybil to be worried about her appearance so did this signal a new more mature Sybil?_

 _Sybil, just noticing Mary's reflection in the mirror, turned around to face her oldest sister, a wide grin on her face. "So do you like my new bedroom Mary?"_

 _Before Mary could respond, Sybil stood, her own eyes glancing around the room as if she was seeing it for the first time._

 _Mary broadly smiled. "I think it's very lovely."_

 _Sybil beamed. "Granny gave me the vanity table and" she pointed to the fireplace mantle "grandmama sent me the gold clock. But I picked out everything else."_

 _Mary looked at the two tall white vases flecked with orange that flanked either side of the clock. Behind the clock, leaning against the wall mirror, Sybil had arranged an opened silk lady's hand fan whose beige background was covered with thin brown branches and tiny orange and yellow flowers and dark green leaves. The fan was an unusual display but somehow quite fitting for Sybil._

 _Sybil noticed Mary looking at the fan. "I bought the fan last year in London. It just looked so ex … ex …" Sybil scrounged by her face trying to remember the word her mother had used to describe the fan._

" _Exotic!" she finally exclaimed, her face glowing with delight as she remembered the word. "And it's too beautiful to just sit folded up. This way I can see it every day."_

 _Mary chuckled at twelve year old Sybil using the word exotic but the fan was so like those colorful Japanese drawings that Sybil had always been fascinated with and she nodded her head in agreement. "It is exotic and beautiful. I never would have thought to display it so but it does looks wonderful on the mantle."_

" _Oh Mary" Sybil's face beamed with pride. "I'm so glad you like it. I know the room isn't as elegant as your room but I'm not as" she paused as if wondering what to say before shrugging her shoulders. "Papa says it's a sunny room for a sunny girl."_

 _Mary laughed. "And Papa is right. It is bright and airy and so much like you."_

 _Sybil bobbed her head up and down, a huge grin on her face, at Mary's words. "Good. A room should reflect its owner."_

 _Mary laughed once again. What had happened to her young tomboy sister?_

"The fan looks Japanese" Ciara stated. "Grand Ma especially loved Japanese watercolors and paintings of trees and flowers and kimonos."

"I think that's why she chose Japan when Dad told them they could fly anywhere for free on Pan Am" Aine spoke up. After retiring from the Air Force Aine's father became a pilot with Pan American World Airways and one of the perks was free tickets for family members.

"I still have the beautiful silk kimono she brought back for me" Ciara stated.

"There's a book in the library that has illustrations of some Japanese watercolors and paintings and she was fascinated with them from the time she three or four years old." Mary stated. "She could spend at hour just looking at them. They're so much prettier and happier than the gloomy paintings in this house she said."

Mary looked at the mahogany nightstand on the right side of the large four post bed. There were the usual things that a man would put there, a few coins, a comb, some bits of paper, but what caught her eye was a small silver frame, probably only four by five inches, holding a photograph of Sybil.

She picked up the photograph and looked closely at it. Sybil, dressed in a dark blue skirt and a light blue flowered blouse, was standing at a slight angle to the camera with her hands holding her straw bonnet. Her skirt and strands of her hair that had escaped the low chignon were blowing gently in what was probably a light sea breeze for there was no mistaking the ocean in the far background. But it was the expression on her beautiful face that held the viewer's attention. It was a look of pure joy.

"Grand Da travels with that photograph" Ciara stated. "He puts it on his nightstand wherever he is. It's from their honeymoon."

"I don't know if I've ever seen a more beautiful photograph of Sybil" Mary stated quietly while her running her finger gently up and down the side of the frame.

Silence descended on the room as Mary and the girls each seemed lost in their own thoughts. It was Ciara who finally broke the silence.

"It's strange to think there are things here that Grand Ma used when she was younger than we are" Ciara stated looking at the various jars and boxes that sat on top of the vanity. There was a set of three crystal atomizers, each a difference size, as well as a wooden jewelry box.

Ciara's hand glided over the tops of three porcelain boxes that also sat on the vanity table. The boxes were various sizes and shapes but all were white with colorful painted flowers decorating them.

Lifting the lid of the most delicate looking one, a narrow oblong shaped box probably seven or eight inches long, Ciara saw a collection of what looked like long heavy needles each decorated with an ornament on one end.

She picked up two of them and held them up, one in each hand. The end of one was made of silver that was delicately twisted into interlocking hearts with a green stone in the center while the other was a silver leaf pattern.

"They're hat pins" Mary stated sensing Ciara's puzzlement.

"They're so beautiful" Ciara replied as she set those two down and picked up another two. "More like jewelry."

Mary walked over to the vanity "most of these things were picked by Sybil and she determined how to use them like which box to put her hair ribbons in or which for her hat pins."

Mary's hand gently touched one by one each of the three crystal atomizers. "It wasn't until she was sixteen that she could actually have perfume so these were filled with rosewater or lilac water."

"For her birthday, knowing she was moving to her own room and so wanting to get rid of what she called her baby things, I gave her a comb and brush set with a matching hand mirror." Mary smiled at the memory.

"I had bought it in London at some quaint shop that sold items from around the world. It had immediately caught my eye since the pattern on the back was so-"

"Japanese" Ciara called out before Mary could say it.

Mary looked at Ciara with puzzlement. "She still has it … in Dublin … it's sitting on her dressing table." Ciara answered Mary's unspoken question.

Mary nodded. "She took it to Dublin when she left."

She was quiet for a minute or two obviously lost in thought.

"I'll have all these things boxed up and sent to Tom in Dublin" Mary said. "I should have done it some time ago but I …" her voice broke with emotion.

" _Is that everything you're taking?" Mary pointed at the two suitcases and the small trunk sitting on the floor of Sybil's bedroom._

 _Sybil nodded. "I'm not sure how large our flat will be in Dublin."_

 _She walked over to the large mahogany wardrobe whose doors were open revealing that it was still filled with clothes. She lingered for a moment looking at the fine dresses neatly hanging on their cloth wrapped hangers. "I don't think I'll have any use for most of these things" she said before closing the doors."_

" _Not planning on attending any balls" Mary quipped but instantly regretted saying. "I'm sorry I don't mean to …"_

 _Sybil smiled as she vigorously shook her head. "We'll lead a much simpler life there."_

 _She looked at Mary with an intensity that Mary found a bit unnerving. "It's the life I want."_

 _I wish I could be as brave Sybil Mary thought as she closed her eyes and thought of Matthew now grieving for Lavina. What a mess I've made of things._

 _Opening her eyes, Mary looked once more around the room. The things that Sybil had so proudly displayed, the gold clock from grandmamma with the silk hand fan propped up behind it, the crystal jars and porcelain boxes on her vanity table, all were still there._

 _It was only the two mahogany nightstands that were now bare except for the lamps. Usually there were two or three books sitting there along with framed photographs. There had been four such photographs, one of Sybil and her sisters from a long ago garden party, one of a young Sybil and papa standing in front of the Downton Christmas tree, one of Sybil and Edith with mama, and one of just Mary and Sybil._

 _Sybil must have noticed Mary looking for she stated "I've taken the photographs."_

" _There's something else I've also taken" Sybil teasingly said "and I've left you something."_

 _Mary glanced around the room, first at the fireplace but the gold clock and the hand fan were still there. Then she looked at the vanity table but the crystal jars and porcelain boxes were still filling most of the table._

 _Before either Mary or Sybil could say anything else, Thomas and Jimmy appeared in the doorway._

" _Lady Sybil, we've come to get your cases."_

 _Sybil turned towards Thomas "Of course Thomas. It's just those two suitcases and that trunk."_

 _As each of the footman picked up a suitcase and walked out of the room, Mary squealed "it's the brush set."_

 _Sybil laughed "I'll think of you every night when I brush my hair and hope you're wondering what wonderful adventures I'm having."_

 _It was only later, after Sybil had left, that Mary discovered what Sybil had left her. Mary, Edith and Cora had stood in front of the house, waving good bye and watching the motor car carrying Sybil to the railway station until it was out of sight. Cora, flanked by her older daughters, didn't try to hold back the tears that freely flowed as the motor car disappeared._

 _The trio stood there looking down the drive as if the motor car might suddenly reappear, as if Sybil had asked Pratt to turn the car around. When Cora and Edith finally turned to enter the house, Mary instead walked to her refuge, the bench under the large cedar tree._

 _As she approached the bench, Mary realized there was something lying on it. Unlike her sisters, Sybil had never been fond of dolls instead preferring soft fabric stuffed animals. She had all sorts of them including a horse, a bunny, a lion, a tiger but her favorite was an elephant._

" _Wouldn't you love to see an elephant?" Sybil would often say. "Can you imagine what an adventure it would be to ride one?"_

 _Now lying here on the bench was Sybil's elephant. She had pinned a note on its trunk. "Follow your heart Mary. Lead the life you want."_

 **A/N: As always thank you for the reviews. I know I said a couple of chapter backs that there were only 2 more chapters but I've obviously changed my mind. I've enjoyed writing this story and keeping thinking of more flashbacks. But I do think the next chapter is the last one.**


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: This is a very short chapter but the chapter was becoming too long so I broke it off here. Thanks again to those that reviewed the last chapter – I was very touched at the comments.

Tom, laying on his back his head propped up by the down filled pillows, opened one eye and turned his head towards the nightstand to look at his alarm clock. He had left the drapes open so as to allow in the cool night breeze and now rays of sunlight filtered into the room. However, to his disbelief, there was no clock sitting on his nightstand. It took him another minute or two to realize he wasn't in his own bed in Dublin but instead was at Downton.

 _Although the room was still bathed in darkness, Tom was wide awake. Despite the weariness he felt from their travel, he hadn't slept well. He attributed his uncomfortableness to being here, not only in this strange room but in this house._

 _He wasn't sure what to expect when Sybil had opened the door to her childhood bedroom; although he had often looked at the house and wondered which room was hers, he had never thought about what that room was like._

 _The room surprised him for unlike the other rooms in the house he had seen, which he thought were dark and forbidding, this one was light and airy much like its former occupant. It was the largest and most elegant bedroom he had ever seen and at first seeing it he felt a bit of remorse for taking her away from this. Half of their Dublin flat could probably fit into this room. It was only when she turned around to him, her face smiling as she reached out her hand towards him, that he remembered she had wanted to leave this and the life it entailed behind her._

 _Now in the early morning darkness, he laid propped up on the pillows until he was almost in a sitting position, the familiar comfort of Sybil lying next to him with her head nestled in the crook of his arm and one arm draped over his chest soothed him. He stroked her soft hair, no longer a mass of unruly curls but the more manageable bob, and lightly kissed the top of her head causing her to stir slightly._

 _Still stroking her hair with one hand, he moved his other hand to lightly trace the arm she had draped over his chest. She responded by grasping his chest more tightly and then lifting her head so that her lips could touch his. Their kisses deepened and soon Tom's nightshirt was flung to the floor._

 _It was in the midst of this ardent kissing, that the bedroom door was quietly opened and someone stepped into the still dark room. Anna pulled the drapes apart suddenly bathing the room in sunlight causing Tom to jerk his head up and cry out "What the feck …"_

 _That's part of the morning routine here Sybil later explained to him. One of the housemaids always comes in to open the drapes and, in the cooler months, tend to the fireplace. But Tom was mortified. What if Anna had come in ten minutes later he asked._

 _It was left to Sybil to talk to Mrs. Hughes and explain that the Bransons preferred no one enter their room until they had gone downstairs for breakfast. At first Mrs. Hughes was annoyed that they were trying to change the established routine but as she looked closely at Sybil and saw the twinkle in her eyes, it suddenly dawned on Mrs. Hughes what Sybil was really implying and she agreed such a change would be for the best._

At this time of year in Yorkshire the sun rose about half past four, so Tom had no idea of the time. He reached for his watch which he had set on the nightstand and found the time was half five. Feeling quite rested after a night of deep sleep in the very comfortable bed, Tom decided to get up regardless of the early hour.

They had a busy morning since he and the girls would be taking a late afternoon train to Holy Head to catch the last evening ferry to Dublin. Originally Aine was going to leave for London to fly home to Virginia but had changed her mind deciding, much to the delight of her grandfather and Ciara, that she would extend her travel and spent a couple of weeks in Dublin.

During this trip he had been reminded of the old ways of life and the many changes that had come to Downton. One of the old customs that had captured the girls' attention was that married women ate breakfast in their rooms. "I think Mum would quite like that" Ciara had said.

Although everyone now ate breakfast in the dining room, there was a tea making set in the bedrooms so that early risers could make a cup of tea. Drinking his tea, Tom finished packing his suitcase which only took a few minutes since he had done most of that last night.

It was still too early for breakfast when Tom made his way downstairs so he took his second cup of tea into the library to read the morning papers which he had retrieved from the outside box next to the front door. He opened the drapes letting in the early morning sunlight and settled himself into one of the cozy lounge chairs near the window. With his teacup and the Yorkshire Post on the table beside the chair, his feet propped up on the ottoman, Tom made himself comfortable as he opened The London Times.

 _Tom smiled as he watched Sybil and her mother hug as they walked into the house. Unlike his lordship, who didn't acknowledge Tom, Sybil's mother had offered him her hand and a smile in welcoming him. But Tom's smile vanished with the obvious distain Carson showed him at the doorway._

 _Tea had been set up in the library which was the only room in the house Tom was familiar with. During the war he had been in a couple of other rooms helping set up beds or moving furniture or delivering supplies but his time in them had been fleeting. The library was the only room in which he had ever spent any time. Not that he had ever sat on the sofas or the plush lounge chairs, his limited time here had been spent looking at the vast collection of books. On more than one occasion he had been escorted out of the room when a member of the family entered. Sometimes though he had looked at one of the lounge chairs or the red sofa and wondered what it would be like to sit there, a glass of fine whiskey on the table bedside him and a roaring fire warming the room as he read._

 _The room looked as he remembered it but he now felt an uncomfortableness here that he never had before. Now he was sitting on one of those red sofas, drinking tea and eating small sandwiches and cake._

 _The oppressive air in the room had diminished a bit when Sybil's mother dismissed Carson saying they would serve themselves. Carson's eyes immediately cast a scornful glance at Tom before quietly leaving the room._

 _Sybil's father made known his distain by his absence. Sybil's heart had soared when they received the invitation to Mary's wedding. "They're ready to welcome you … us" she had cheerily exclaimed but Tom had silently disagreed. In all the months they had been in Dublin, his lordship hadn't written to his daughter. In her letters, Cora would add a line such as your father sends his love but Tom thought the man himself made no such claim._

 _Tom thought their finances would be his excuse for his absence but Sybil wouldn't come back to Downton alone. "We go as a happy couple or not at all" she had said._

 _Looking at the glow on Sybil's face as she congenially chattered with her mother and sisters Tom knew he had done the right thing in coming here with her no matter how uneasy he felt. He had taken her away from her family and everything she knew, she had warmly embraced his family even when the welcome wasn't so warmly returned, she had accepted the hardships of their poor finances without complaint. He would accept his lordship's distain and Carson's scorn and whatever else came his way for Sybil's sake. After all, it was only for a few days and then they'd be back in the familiarity of Dublin. How bad could it get?_

Mary had woken that morning with an unexpected wave of melancholy overcoming her. This past week with Tom and his granddaughters had unexpectedly taken Mary back to her past and brought forth so many memories she had locked away. Until this week she couldn't remember when she had last thought of Edith or Marigold. Even thoughts of Papa and Mama or Granny seldom passed through her mind. Only memories of Matthew appeared in her thoughts with any regularity and those had dimmed as the years went by.

Even Sybil's death hadn't brought forth memories of the past. She still mourned the loss of her beloved sister but that was a loss that was still fresh. And she thought not of their distance past but rather their enduring friendship and their present time.

" _I'm sorry Mary we didn't get here sooner." Mary and Sybil were sitting in Mary's upstairs sitting room. The quietness of the room made it seem a world away from all the activity going on downstairs where florists, deliverymen, and caterers were busy setting up for the big event._

" _I understand darling" Mary replied smiling. "It's not every day that one becomes a grandparent. How are Aoife and the baby?"_

" _They're both fine."_

" _And what did they name him?"_

" _Sean"_

 _Mary laughed. "Finally a Branson child has a name I can pronounce and spell!"_

 _Sybil, feigning offense, sighed "Technically he's not a Branson. And what's wrong with my children's names?_

 _Mary chuckled. "Remember when you told Papa your baby's name was Aoife?"_

 _Smiling, Sybil shook her head. "It didn't get any better with Roisin. Maybe it's a good thing he wasn't around for Aibrean" causing both sisters to laugh._

" _I'll send you some photographs as soon as they're developed. I think Tom used a whole roll of film. But I will say he's certainly a handsome lad."_

" _The baby or Tom?"_

 _Sybil laughed. "Both of course!"_

" _Speaking of Tom where is he?"_

" _Howard was just walking out the door when we arrived so Tom went with him to the Grantham Arms."_

 _Sybil noticing how Mary's face paled continued "Don't worry Mary. Tom promised me they'd only have one pint."_

" _That's all they better have. I don't want them showing up tonight inebriated."_

 _Sybil laughed. "It's funny isn't it? I become a grandmother again the day before you become a bride again."_

 _Mary rolled her eyes. "It's not like I'm a dewy eyed twenty year old walking down the aisle."_

 _Sybil took Mary's hand. "I love that you've found someone. Howard's a wonderful man."_

 _It didn't escape Sybil's attention that Mary's eyes wandered to a photograph of Matthew sitting on the end table by the sofa._

" _I loved Matthew too you know. He was the brother I never had. I thought that even before you two finally married."_

 _Mary nodded._

 _Sybil continued "I see a lot of Matthew in Howard. I think he'll make you very happy."_

She had always had a reputation within the family as someone that never showed her true feelings, as stoic and it was only Sybil and Matthew that had seen through that.

Mary picked up a framed photograph of her and Howard with Sybil and Tom. It had been taken five or six years ago when the two couples had taken a short holiday together in Paris. Mary held back the tears as she looked at their smiling faces. She gently touched Tom's face before running her finger over Sybil's. _I did come to know him and value him_ she silently mouthed. Now I have to go downstairs and say a last goodbye to him. She stared a few more seconds at the photograph then straightened her spine, took a deep breath, laid the photograph back on the desk and walked out of the room.


	25. Chapter 25

As always, thanks to those who generously take the time to leave a review.

 _At first glance they looked like any other couple standing on the railway station platform waiting for their train. It was only when one looked closer that one saw the subtle differences such as the rich fabric and elegant cut of her simple flowered blouse and dark blue skirt matched against the cheap fabric of his suit. At his feet was a battered suitcase that contrasted to the elegant leather suitcase with monogrammed letters SPC that sat next to her feet. A larger suitcase matching the one at her feet, a small trunk adorned again with the monogram SPC and another battered suitcase sat on a cart standing next to the couple._

 _He had arrived at the railway station before her. Standing on the platform nervously pacing he kept glancing at the large clock on the station's outer wall. As he had paced up and down the short platform of the Downton station he feared that her family would still try to persuade her from leaving despite her father giving them his blessing. He wouldn't be certain until the two of them were actually on the train that his dream was now a reality._

 _From his spot on the platform he finally saw the motor car arrive. He knew it was the right motor car for he had been the driver of it for the past six years. She didn't wait for Pratt to open her door instead opting to open it herself and immediately her eyes searched the platform for him. He knew when she spotted him for a huge smile spread across her face._

 _As the train pulled out of the small Downton railway station, Sybil and Tom, sitting side by side in one of the third class compartments, looked at each other. Sybil looked radiant, her blue eyes sparkling and the widest grin on her face. Tom looked just as happy with his smile matching hers as his left hand reached out and took hold of her right hand._

 _Sybil looked down at their entwined hands, her head slightly bobbing up and down as she continued looking at their hands._

" _It feels so good to finally be able to hold your hand" Tom whispered "to not have to worry about anyone seeing."_

 _In response she leaned her head against his chest and squeezed his hand. He had waited for this moment for so long even at times despairing it would ever happen. He didn't care that they were not alone in the train compartment and so his lips brushed the top of her head._

 _It was hours later when they stood on the deck of the steamer, the last rays of the setting sun casting faint light on the receding shoreline of England. Sybil took one last look at her home land and sighed deeply. Tom, standing next to her, wrapped his arm around her._

" _Any regrets?" he whispered._

 _She shook her head. "Only that I made you wait so long."_

Mary could hear the congenial chatter and clinking of plates and glasses as she approached the dining room. Entering the dining room, she murmured "good morning" to all and received likewise greetings in return.

Glancing around the table, she was surprised to see one person was missing. "Has Tom already eaten?" Mary asked.

"Not yet Aunt Mary" Aine replied. "I guess he's still in bed although" she paused looking at Ciara "it does seem rather late for him."

But Mary knew he wasn't still in bed because passing his bedroom she had glanced in the open doorway. Tom wasn't there but his suitcase was laying open on the unmade bed.

Looking at her watch Ciara announced "Maybe I should go up and get him."

"I can't believe the newsboy is so late with the morning papers" Howard stated to no one in particular.

Hearing this Mary knew where to find her absent brother-in-law.

"He's not in his room" Mary stated to Ciara who had started to get up "but I think I know where to find him."

Mary stood quietly in the library looking at Tom. He was splayed in one of the lounge chairs, his stockinged feet propped on the ottoman, one of Howard's newspapers open and spread across his lap, his head tilted back and eyes closed.

"Now that's a sight I wish my father could see" Mary loudly stated causing Tom to snap his head up, eyes wide open.

As Mary giggled, if that's what one could describe the sound emitting from the almost 80 year old woman, Tom looked down at his feet before looking up at her with his now so familiar cheeky grin breaking out across his face.

"I was just waiting for the rest of you sleepy heads to get up" he laughed.

"And found yourself falling back to sleep" Mary retorted.

"Well it was very early when I got down here."

"And made yourself quite at home I see." Mary pointed at the newspaper and then the tea cup sitting on the end table.

It was only when the two of them were in the Land Rover that Tom realized how significant Mary's words in the library were. _You've made yourself quite at home._ He silently chuckled because he had made himself at home in a place where he had once felt like an alien. It had been a slow transformation and he would never be able to pinpoint exactly when or how it had happened.

As the Land Rover bumped along the dirt road, so many thoughts tumbled around in his head. Part of the reason Tom had wanted to come to Downton was to make one final trip there in memory of his beloved Sybil. He wanted to visit the places that had meant so much to them particularly in their early years. After all this was the place where they had met, where they had become friends, and where they fell in love. He wanted to show his granddaughters the places that had meant so much to him and their grandmother and to share a bit of their history.

It felt good to drive the 1965 Land Rover pick-up over the rough back roads, some not more than a dirt track really, of the estate. Tom wished he had had a vehicle like this back when he was the estate agent. He glanced over at his only passenger noting Mary was sitting as always ramrod straight with her hands clasped together resting on her lap and her face looking forward through the Rover's front window shield although he doubted that she was seeing the grounds around her for she seemed lost in her own world. It was a familiar look, both on her and Sybil, and he knew she would, just as Sybil did, tell him what was on her mind when she was ready.

His granddaughters were spending the morning being pampered at the Downton Country Hotel's spa, a gift courtesy of Mary. Seeing the delighted looks on their faces when Mary had made the proposal of manicures, pedicures, haircuts and styling or whatever suited their fancy from the spa's menu of services, he feared it might be the highlight of their trip. He had to admit he was intrigued by the idea of a mud bath – really what little boy wouldn't enjoy that he thought – and was almost tempted to try it himself. He laughed at the thought that these rich gits would pay to be bathed in mud when it was, like so much in life, something that could be done for no money. Ah but it's special mud Mary had explained in reply to his jests. But mud is mud he had retorted.

So instead of lathering himself in mud, special Downton mud he reminded himself, he was driving around the estate with Mary at her request that the two of them spend the morning alone out on the estate.

He glanced again at Mary and then laughed. "I would have said this seems like old times" he paused as he looked back at the road but the cheeky grin still on his face "but then you'd have to be in the back seat."

Mary joined him in laughing. "See I can accept change!"

Her laughter died as her eyes narrowed and she looked seriously at Tom. "How did it start?" she asked.

Tom knitted his brows in confusion. "How did what start?"

"You and Sybil."

Tom glanced at Mary and saw that she was looking at him earnestly. "I never asked her" Mary stated.

He turned his head back to focus on the narrow dirt road. It was probably a minute or two later that a sly smile spread across his face. _"Will you have your own way, do you think? With the frock?"_

"You began bonding over a frock?" Mary was incredulous.

Tom shrugged his shoulders. "Well it quickly turned to the issue of women's rights and politics and the vote."

Then emitting a laugh he continued "but it turned out to be quite a frock."

Now Mary was even more confused. "What could have been so special about a frock?"

"It was her harem pants" he joyfully replied.

 _It was unusual for just Mary to be invited to Granny's for tea. Mary set her teacup down on the small table. "You didn't ask me here Granny to discuss the weather."_

" _No … no … of course not" Violet replied. She should have known that Mary would know this wasn't just a social visit between grandmother and granddaughter. "It's just that I'm concerned about Sybil."_

" _Sybil?" Mary couldn't hide her surprise. When she had received the summons to visit her grandmother Mary was sure it had to do with the entail and cousin Matthew._

" _What about Sybil?" she asked._

" _I'm concerned just where all this is heading."_

 _Now Mary was certainly puzzled. "I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at Granny."_

 _Violet, sighing deeply, set down her teacup a little too briskly causing it to clatter against the saucer. "First it was that foolishness about going to hear those politicians and wanting to canvas and now …" Violet shook her head, giving a small snort as she did so. "And now that … that … whatever it was she wore last to dinner last night."_

 _Mary wanted to scream. The estate was being stolen by a middleclass solicitor from Manchester and yet Granny was concerned about Sybil wearing harem pants._

" _I'm just afraid of where all this is going" Violet continued "and with her season coming up. I shudder to think what she may do then."_

" _Oh honestly Granny" Mary started. "I think Sybil is just …" she couldn't quite think what to say. She was shocked, no surprised was a better word, at Sybil's outfit but she wouldn't say that to Granny._

" _She's young and maybe chafing a bit …" Mary paused. "Oh Granny you know Sybil's always been a bit of a rebel."_

 _Violet glared at Mary. "That's what worries me. Your mother is too oblivious and your father is too indulgent especially when it comes to Sybil."_

" _We just need to make sure this doesn't lead to more rebellious actions" Violet stated._

" _More rebellious actions?" Mary laughed. "What do you think Sybil's going to do Granny? Run away and join the Suffragettes?_

" _Well with Sybil … she's at that age she can be so easily influenced" Violet replied._

 _Mary rolled her eyes. "This is Sybil we're talking about Granny. Stubborn … headstrong … willful Sybil. Besides who around here could possibly influence her?"_

Mary turned her head so that she was looking out the passenger window at the field of sheep grazing in the morning sunshine. Soon the dirt road entered a deeply wooded area and they climbed a steep hill before the road opened up once again into a small field only this one had no grazing animals.

Tom stopped the motor car since they were at their destination. Mary had asked him to drive up to one of the estate's follies called Heaven's Gate. As he exited the car, Tom noticed that the brick edifice seemed to be in need of repair with a few missing bricks and some crumbling mortar. Both Tom and Mary walked over to stand under the middle arch, the tallest of the folly's three arches. The view from here was nothing short of spectacular encompassing not only the house but much of the grounds and he instantly regretted that he hadn't brought his granddaughters up here.

"This has always been my favorite place on the estate" Mary announced as she stood there with Tom by her side. "From the time I was a young girl I'd ride my horse up here and survey all that I thought I would one day own."

"It's funny isn't it" she said without looking at Tom. "All I've ever wanted is this" she gestured at the sight before them. "But you hated it here.

"That's not quite true Mary" Tom softly replied. "I didn't hate it here … how could I … it's where I met Sybil."

Looking back now he could see he had many wonderful memories of Downton. Foremost of course was falling in love with Sybil, something that had taken time over long conversations in the garage and in the car. But there were also afternoons of picnics and evenings of stargazing, of swimming or boating in one of the lakes, of walks in woods blazing with autumn color or in green fields alive with blooming lilacs and rhododendrons.

While he had strained under the yoke of service, he had enjoyed driving the motor cars especially the modern Renault and the countless hours he had happily spent working on them. There was the wonderful Downton library giving him access to its vast collection of books and quiet evenings spent reading in the solitude of his own cottage.

He had to admit he had come to love being the Estate Agent, a job much more challenging and fulfilling than he ever imagined. That job had also cemented his friendship with Matthew and he had come to regard Matthew like a brother.

"I hated the system that made some servants and treated some better than others because of the station of their birth" Tom continued "a system that denied many a chance to better their lives."

Mary nodded. Staring out at the view before them the two old friends became silent once again with each lost in their own thoughts. It was Mary that finally broke that silence. "I wasn't a very nice person … I'm ashamed of who I was back then.

Tom turned to look at his sister-in-law with surprise written all over his face but Mary stood still looking straight ahead. He had never thought his sister-in-law was the type to look inward at herself.

"That afternoon I spent with the girls looking at the old photographs it brought up so many memories not all of which were pleasant. It made me think of what I was like then." She looked over at him "I didn't tell them those things …"

"I couldn't bring myself to tell them what the family … me … what we really thought back then about you and Sybil."

"You're not that person any more Mary. Life has a way of changing us, making us see what's important and what isn't. Times change not only because of new inventions or manners but how we as individuals accept them" Tom spoke earnestly.

He continued "we shouldn't be the same person at 80 as we were at 20 … we've had life experiences … good and bad."

As Mary nodded her head she turned to look at him. Her eyes were clouded with unshed tears. "I never said it; even when we sat there together at her bedside … I never said she did the right thing in marrying you."

He reached out to touch her hand and Mary fell into his arms, he could feel the wetness of her tears on his shirt.

"I miss her so much Tom" Mary cried.

Tears welled in Tom's eyes as he patted Mary's back. "I do too Mary." He closed his eyes and as so often the image of Sybil came to him. It wasn't always the same image but she was always smiling or laughing with that mischievous glint in her eyes.

"We've been through so much you and I" Mary's voice was so low that Tom had to strain to hear her. "It's hard to imagine that it's just the two of us left.

Mary wiped away her tears and sighed deeply. "We're the only ones that really remember Granny and Edith and Mama and Papa. Even Matthew is such a distant memory for my children."

"That's life Mary and hopefully one day Artie and Ciara and Aine will fondly say that about us" Tom countered.

At the mention of their grandchildren Mary smiled. "It's been wonderful to see the way the girls and Artie have bonded. I don't know why our children lost touch but maybe our grandchildren ... I hope it's something that can last that our families will keep in touch."

"I have a feeling after Ciara and Aine get home and tell their brothers and sisters and cousins about this trip, you might get some other Bransons wanting to come for a visit" Tom laughed. "I do have fifteen grandchildren!"

Wiping her eyes, she smiled at him. "Well there's always room for more Bransons at Downton" she said causing Tom to raise one eyebrow in mock disbelief.

Mary shrugged her shoulders. "Your right Tom life experiences do change you.

" _Daddy is that the ship we're going on?" Five year old Aoife pointed excitedly to the steamer._

" _Yes darling."_

 _Tom looked at the clear skies and was thankful it forecasted an easy sailing to Ireland. It had been over five years since that night he had been forced to flee his homeland. For five years he had dreamed of this day when he would be able to return home._

 _Aoife was so excited she hopped and skipped up the gangplank with Tom trying to stay just behind her. Sybil, holding two year old Roisin in her arms, walked at a much slower pace behind her husband and older daughter._

 _They made their way to the railing where they would watch the English coast recede from sight. Since it was early November the sun was already in the throes of sunset and it wouldn't be long before the coast disappeared from sight._

 _Though she held Roisin tightly in her arms, Sybil leaned against her husband. "It's so hard to think that we're finally going home. Remember when we first made this journey?"_

 _A broad smile came over Tom. "Of course. I was so excited, so full of love and hope about the future."_

 _Sybil creased her brows in puzzlement. For years they had talked of returning to Ireland. "Are you not feeling those things now?"_

" _Of course I am love" Tom responded. "But it is different this time. I'm not that penniless guy afraid that you'd realize you had made a mistake. We both have more realistic expectations as to what we'll find in Dublin."_

 _Home. To Tom the word had always brought forth images of Ireland, it was where he had been born and raised and where he hoped to die. It was where his family, his mother and his brothers and sisters, lived. But Tom had changed these last five years and had come to realize home was where he and Sybil were together._


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: You could play a drinking game with this chapter and take a drink every time you read some real Downton dialogue.**

During his years as the chauffeur at Downton, Tom's growing affection for Sybil didn't apply to her family especially not to her eldest sister. He couldn't reconcile the person Sybil lovingly talked about with the cold and haughty figure he drove about.

" _What a dreadful luncheon" Mary remarked as Tom drove the motor car away from the front of Heaton House._

" _Why?" Edith snarked. "Just because the men weren't falling all over you?"_

" _Oh please" Mary responded just as curtly. "As if I would be interested in John Laver or Richard Crimsfield or Sir Barton."_

" _Why ever not?" Edith wouldn't drop the subject. "They seem to be just your type. Of course you might have to wait quite awhile before John or Richard become lord of the manor."_

" _Actually Edith they seemed more your type … dreadful bores."_

 _Tom glanced in the rearview mirror and even at this distance he could tell Edith's cheeks turned bright red._

" _Sir Barton is a good friend of Rosamond's" Cora finally spoke and Tom thought maybe her ladyship was hoping to steer the conversation in another direction._

" _Sybil always says poor Aunt Rosamond all alone in that big house" Edith stated._

" _I don't" Mary began. "All alone, with plenty of money, in a house in Eaton Square. I can't imagine anything better."_

Tom knew it was because of her love for her sister rather than her approval of Sybil's choice of husband that Mary had attended their wedding where she was civil, she was after all trained in the niceties of polite society, but by no means exhibited any warmth to Tom or his family.

"Why did you never tell on us?" Judging by the look of puzzlement on Mary's face she had no idea what Tom was talking about.

"When you found out about my feelings for Sybil you didn't tell your father. Even after you drove through the night to stop our elopement you didn't tell your father" Tom offered in explanation. "You asked me how it started between Sybil and me, I've often wondered why you never reported me to your father."

Mary nodded her head in understanding of Tom's question. "I wanted to … and if it had been Edith I probably would have told but it was Sybil and I …"

Standing straight, her arms hanging down with her right fist opening and closing, she then turned to face the sweeping view of the estate rather than her brother-in-law.

"I don't know really." She shuddered and took a deep breath. _I won't betray him, on one condition. You must promise not to do anything stupid._ But then Sybil had done something stupid and had run away with him and even though she had stopped the elopement she didn't tell her father.

"I thought-" Mary paused and sighed again. "I thought it would blow over … that Sybil would come to her senses … that …"

She took a step forward and then turned back to face Tom. "That night at the Swan Inn, you sitting in that chair while she was in the bed ...I might not have liked it but I realized she was in love and so were you."

Mary shivered as she raised her head to look up at the sky. "I envied Sybil. She was in love and wasn't afraid to act on it."

"Unlike you" Tom stated quietly causing Mary to snap her head back to look at him. "You were in love with Matthew not that Carlisle fellow.

Noticing the puzzled frown on her face, Tom continued "Servants aren't blind and they see and hear much more than their masters realize."

Mary narrowed her eyes as she studied her brother-in-law. "Care to tell me some other things you noticed?"

With his cheeky grin spreading across his face, Tom replied "No."

Smiling Mary uttered "fair enough" before turning once again towards the view. Tom knew that look she had, he had seen it enough not only on Mary but on Sybil too, and he knew she was thinking and she would only tell him when, and if, she felt like it. While it came natural for him to express his emotions, it wasn't so for the Crawley sisters. Even Sybil who seemed so outgoing and kind could bottle up her feelings.

"Do you remember the first time Matthew and I took our boys fishing?"

Mary looked at Tom as if he had had suddenly sprouted wings.

"You know that time when" Tom began but was suddenly interrupted by Mary.

"That time when you all came back soaking wet and with no fish except for that small one that had gotten in Arthur's pocket?"

Tom grinned as he nodded his head yes. Walking over to Mary he put his arm around her. "We have our memories you and I. Some may be sad because those people are no longer with us, some may be of sad times, but we also have so many happy memories, of good times."

They spent the rest of their morning reminiscing about some of those good times, those happy memories of which each recalled different ones to the delight of the other. In fact both were in such good spirits when they returned to the house that everyone was quite surprised having expected that the pair had spent the morning tearfully talking about the past.

No one was more surprised than Howard for he knew how much Mary dreaded saying what she had described to him as probably her last good-bye to Tom. Yet the good mood lasted through the light early luncheon and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that all present were sorry to see the Bransons leave.

Tom leaned back on the rather plush seat of the train compartment, his head resting against the back of the seat but turned so he could watch the passing scenery as the train sped through the English countryside. Howard's secretary had made the arrangements for the Bransons' travel back to Ireland. These arrangements had included first class compartments on the trains and the ferry as well as a luggage service that had whisked away their bags at the small Downton railway station and would ensure the bags would be waiting for them dockside in Ireland.

Tom was especially grateful for the luggage service because it left him with only the wicker picnic basket to carry when they changed trains in Ripon and then again in Leeds on their way to Liverpool where they would take a ferry to Ireland. He hadn't expected such a basket since they could buy food on their journey but he thought it was a sign of Mary's graciousness as a hostess. The tarts, both savory and sweet, and the sandwiches would be better than anything offered for sale on the train or even on the ferry. In addition the bags of crisps, crackers, cheeses, and fruit would ensure they could snack all evening.

While he had the basket, the girls had their day packs full of he wasn't sure what but they had been faithfully carried around London and in addition each now sported new leather totes courtesy of the Downton Country Hotel Spa. He knew these were full of creams and lotions, lipsticks, soaps and shampoos as he had witnessed the girls spread the totes' contents on the seat between them and had spent the last hour exclaiming over each item.

"There's even something here for you Grand Da." The glint in Aine's eyes belied the rather serious tone of her voice.

As he took the oblong plastic package from her, both girls began to giggle. As his eyes widen as he read "the best of spa mud" on the label, the giggles turned into laughter.

"Believe me Grand Da, after you try this you'll be sending requests to Aunt Mary for more" Aine managed to say.

"It was truly wonderful Grand Da" Ciara added.

"Rejuvenating" Aine agreed causing Tom to mockingly ask "So you two think I need rejuvenating?"

"You'll feel ten years younger!"

"Well then I should probably ask Mary for a case and I can be thirty again!" he joined the girls in laughing.

He had to admit the girls looked wonderful, not that they weren't before to his eyes, but now both seemed to glow. He especially liked the chin length bob that Aine had opted for at the salon.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Aine asked. Even if her eyes hadn't drifted towards the brown paper wrapped package that sat beside Tom he would have known she was referring to it.

"I think this means more to you than anyone else" Mary had said as she gave it to him just before he got in the old station wagon for the trip to the Downton railway station. Clinging tightly to Howard, Mary had smiled as she handed the package to Tom but there was no mistaking the tears in her eyes when Tom hugged her goodbye.

He smiled at his granddaughters as he lifted the surprisingly heavy package and placed it on his lap. From the size and shape of it Tom surmised it was a photograph album although it seemed a bit heavy for such.

Using his pocket knife he cut the string that was tied around the package. Peeling back the brown wrapping revealed a dark blue leather bound book which Tom immediately recognized.

"A book?" Aine asked.

Tom shook his head. "Not a book but the …"

"The story of our friendship" Tom whispered. He didn't open the book but rather held it close to his chest and closed his eyes.

 _He wasn't sure what to expect when Mr. Carson had said his lordship would meet him in the library. Thinking it was just a fancy name for his lordship's office, Tom was surprise to find himself in a room that was befitting the title of library._

 _He couldn't help but take glances at the shelves of books which Lord Grantham obviously noticed._

" _You're very welcome to borrow books if you wish."_

" _Really, m'lord?" Tom could hardly contain his astonishment._

" _There's a ledger over there that I make everyone use, even my daughters."_

Mary slowly walked into the room, her eyes clouded with sadness as she surveyed the room which had been stripped of all Sybil's possessions making it now seem so barren and lifeless. It was only right that Tom and his family have her things but in the year since Sybil's death coming into this room and looking at those familiar items had given Mary a sense of comfort, a sense that Sybil would be back to sit at the vanity table, that she'd style her hair with the comb and brush set, that she look in the vanity's mirror as she adjusted the earrings she took from one of the porcelain boxes, or that she'd spray on the lilac water that she had been using since she was a teenager. It was in this room that Mary could still feel the presence of her beloved sister.

 _As Mary walked down the corridor she thought it odd to see the door to Sybil's bedroom ajar since other than the housemaids no one went into the room now that Sybil was living in Ireland. Knowing the housemaids would leave the door fully open while they did they work, Mary quietly pushed the door open a bit more._

 _To her astonishment, her father was sitting on the edge of the bed staring at the fireplace._

 _Curious as to why her father would be in here, Mary stepped into the room calling out "Papa … Papa."_

 _He gave no indication he had heard her so Mary walked into the room and stood in front of him and asked "What are you doing in here?"_

" _I … I … I feel close to her in here surrounded by her things."_

 _Mary had never seen her father so melancholy._

 _In a voice so quiet she almost strained to hear, he replied "I keep forgetting that she's gone. I see things in the paper that would make her laugh. I come inside to tell her that her favorite rose is in bloom and then, suddenly_

 _I remember she's gone."_

" _Oh Papa" an exasperated Mary sighed deeply. "You make it sound as if she's dead."_

" _Well …" Robert shrugged._

 _It was too much for Mary, she was so tired of her father acting as if Sybil were dead. Mary snapped "Unless you want to lose her forever, you have to accept what's happened."_

" _You sound like your mother" Robert mumbled._

 _Mary snickered for it wasn't often that she agreed with her mother._

" _And you gave them your blessing Papa" Mary countered._

 _The room became quiet as both Mary and Robert retreated into their own thoughts. After a minute or so Mary sat down next to her father. "Oh Papa, if you would have seen her when she walked down that aisle …" Mary shook her head slightly tilting it so she looked up at the ceiling before continuing. "You would have seen her glowing face as she looked at him."_

" _That doesn't really make it any easier Mary" Robert began "that she left everything I could give her … that she turned her back on everything she knew. How could she think her happiness lies with him?"_

" _There's no doubt Papa … she loves him very much."_

Now all those things as well as the decorative items like the vases and porcelain boxes and crystal jars, the small gold clock, had been packed and shipped to Dublin. For the first time since Sybil had moved into this room over 60 years ago, the mahogany wardrobe and dresser were empty. All of her remaining clothes had been neatly folded and wrapped and shipped to Dublin also.

She had debated about keeping the silk hand fan with the Japanese print that Sybil had lovingly placed on her fireplace mantel. Sybil had been at her bubbliest when she had shown her new purchase to Mary. _Oh Mary isn't this the most beautiful thing you've ever seen_ she had exclaimed as she carefully unfolded the fan to show her big sister _._ It would be the one keepsake she'd have of Sybil's but in the end she decided to send that too to Dublin. As Tom had said they had their memories and with that in mind she decided she didn't need any keepsakes to remember her beloved sister.

She had written notes to accompany many of the keepsakes describing how they came into Sybil's possession or what they had meant to Sybil. It had taken her a week to do so but it had been a task borne of love. She knew how much Ciara and Aine had devoured the stories of their grandmother and thought so too would other members of Sybil's family.

Thinking of Ciara, Mary wished she could see the young girl's face when she opened the crate that contained the vanity table and matching chair. Although Mary had always intended to send Sybil's possessions she hadn't thought of sending the vanity table until that morning when she saw Ciara sitting at it reminding her so much of Sybil at that age.

Mary rose from the bed and walked towards the door. Turning around and giving the room one last look she decided she'd have the room redone for her daughter Clarissa's young girls. She'd call them tonight and ask them what color they'd like the room painted.

 _Despite it being too early to dress for dinner, Mary had retreated to her bedroom. Although she had given the excuse that she had some letters to write, the truth was that she just couldn't bear sitting any longer with her mother and Edith and Granny. There was nothing that she could really point to but she had found them especially grating this afternoon._

 _She sat down at her dressing table and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes began to well up with unshed tears as she put her elbows on the table and lowered her head into her hands._

 _She was so deep in thought that she didn't hear her bedroom door open._

 _It was only when the small hand touched her back that she became aware of Sybil's presence._

" _Are you alright Mary?"_

 _Mary took a moment to compose herself before looking up at the mirror, a smile plastered on her face which was something she had perfected despite whatever she was actually feeling. Talking to Sybil's reflection in the mirror she said "Of course I'm alright darling."_

 _Sybil continued to gently rub her hand across Mary's back. Then leaning close to Mary's ear, she whispered "Don't let what Granny or Edith say bother you. They don't mean to hurt you."_

 _Mary narrowed her eyes as she looked closely at her eleven year old sister. As she often did Sybil had surprised her with her observations. Good, kind Sybil didn't embroil herself in the prickly relations between Mary and Edith. Often Mary thought Sybil was the only person living who thought that she and Edith were nice people._

" _You do know that my birthday is coming up" Sybil shifted the conversation._

 _Mary chuckled. "Are you hinting about your present?"_

" _Oh silly no. It's that this is a very big birthday for me."_

 _Although she knew what Sybil was alluding to, Mary feigned ignorance. "More than any other year?"_

 _Mary couldn't help but laugh at Sybil's theatrics as she rolled her eyes and stamped her foot. "I'll be twelve Mary. I get my very own bedroom."_

 _Sybil reached out and grabbed Mary's arm. "Come see which room I've picked."_

 _Mary had to admit she assumed Sybil would pick the room next to hers so she was quite surprised that Sybil led her down the corridor to a room near the top of the stairway._

" _From here I can sit by the window and watch the comings and goings and I can see the sunrise."_

" _You're up early enough to see the sunrise?"_

 _Sybil shrugged her little shoulders. "Sometimes. I won't have to sneak outdoors now I can see from my room."_

" _Mama is taking me to the shops tomorrow to pick out the paint or wallpaper. She says I can choose any color I want. I'm thinking about something blue… like the sky on a sunny summer day not that dark blue like Granny has."_

 _But in the end Sybil hadn't chosen blue or red or even the deep green that covered so many of the halls of Downton. No Sybil, showing that independent streak, had chosen a sunny yellow. It was the only room in the house that was so light and airy._

 **Two Years Later**

Tom woke with the early summer sun streaming into his bedroom which at this time of year in Ireland could be as early as five. As he always did when he first woke he turned his head to see Sybil's photograph on his nightstand. Actually he had two of Sybil on his nightstand, in one a young Sybil smiled at the camera, her beautiful face full of love and hope. But it was the other one, of Sybil on their 50th wedding anniversary that Tom always looked at. In that one, a candid shot that had been taken without Sybil's notice, the face was still beautiful but with the grace of one that had aged well even if one could see the small lines around the eyes or the gray in the once almost black hair. That was the photograph that reminded Tom of all the years of happiness the two had shared.

Today instead of instantly getting out of bed, Tom sat on the edge of his bed, his feet planted firmly on the bedroom floor, and reached for the anniversary photograph. Holding it in one hand he gently ran the fingers of his other hand across it.

It had been just over three years ago, three years and twelve days to be exact, that the photograph had been taken. This year he had observed the occasion by taking Aoife, Eamon, and Aibrean to his and Sybil's favorite restaurant for lunch. Despite the pleas of each of his children to spend the evening at their houses, he opted to stay at home.

But he didn't go directly home instead, taking a colorful bouquet of flowers, he visited her grace. He wasn't the first to visit there that day since there was already a large bouquet resting against the headstone. The card read " _your loving children."_ Buoyed by their thoughtfulness, Tom took a couple of flowers from his bouquet and added them to the small vase that permanently sat at the base of her headstone. He left the rest of his bouquet at Aidan's grave.

As Tom stroked Sybil's picture once again he smiled thinking about how much today would be one of those days that Sybil had loved. The family was celebrating Tom's 80th birthday which had actually been in mid-May but they waited until Roisin and her family were able to visit from Virginia. In addition, they were celebrating Aine's and Ciara's graduation from university and the high school graduation of another granddaughter Brianna.

All of their children and grandchildren would be here today. There would even be the newest member of the Branson clan, fifteen month old Sybil Branson, the daughter of Eamon's oldest son and Tom's first great grandchild. Sybbie, as the family called her, with her blond hair and blue eyes resembled the Bransons but Tom thought her smile was pure Sybil.

Tom took a deep breath as he laid the photograph back on his nightstand. "I feel every bit of those 80 years" he thought as his knees creaked as he stood up.

By midafternoon the back garden of the Branson house was full of people. A keg and bottles of wine and a table of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres were keeping every happy until the actual dinner was served.

Tom, sitting in his favorite lawn chair, wondered why the delay in firing up the grill. When he had asked Aoife she had handed him another glass of lager and told him it would be done when the time was right. The boisterous crowd of Bransons suddenly became even louder and Tom wondered if he had had too many lagers that afternoon for he thought he had detected the faint sound of English accents.

Looking towards the back door, Tom thought he spotted someone who looked so much like … shaking his head he closed his eyes …

"I wouldn't think you were the type to fall asleep at your own party." There was no mistaking the crisp cut-glass English accent. Tom opened his eyes and blinked several times just to be sure he wasn't seeing things."

"Mary?" he mumbled still in disbelief that she was standing there. "Is that really you?"

"I know it's been two years Tom but really have you forgotten what I look like?"

Tom jumped, well as much as an 80 year old can, up from his seat. Reaching out and pulling her into a tight hug he cheerily exclaimed "it's you. It really is you."

 **A/N: And so we come to the final chapter of this story. I have to say I have really enjoyed writing this one and stretched it out far longer than I originally planned. I have so many other flashbacks I didn't use that I might post them later. Thank you to all who wrote the kind reviews. Also thanks to all who followed or favored this story.**

 **I do have an epilogue written that I'll most next week.**


	27. Epilogue

**A/N: I think I might have surprised many of you that Tom didn't die. When I first began writing this story, which to my surprise was almost one year ago, I already had the last chapter and this epilogue outlined which is something I don't usually do. Thank you to all who have taken the time to review – they really do mean a lot - and if you've never left a review a final one would be appreciated.**

 **Now to find out what has happened to everyone.**

Eight Years Later June 1980

Ciara let out a big sigh of relief as she pulled the paper out of the typewriter. Glancing at the clock that hung on the dining room wall she was surprised to see it was almost eleven. It hadn't taken her as long as she thought it would to type all her hand-written pages. She added the newly typed pages to the stack in the desk drawer. Since she had a detailed outline of the remaining part of the story it would only take her a week or two to write it so she would easily meet her publisher's deadline.

Writing a mystery for young girls had been a change of pace for Ciara who thought she wanted to write something more lighthearted after the past two years coupled with the seriousness of her first two novels. But she was keeping somewhat in the tradition of those novels since the book was about an adventurous twelve year old who preferred to be called Maggie rather than Lady Margaret living on an estate in 1910 England. After all, where better to set a murder or a mystery involving missing jewels or valuable books than a centuries old home full of secret passages and hidden attics surrounded by gardens and woods and a house full of family and servants as well as the frequent guests as suspects. To Ciara's delight, her publisher was already talking about doing a series of these stories.

She straightened up the top of the old roll top desk, putting away her pens and paper. She put the typewriter back in its hard case and set the case on the floor by the desk. She needed the space on the desk to spread out her papers and notepads when she was writing. She liked to have her materials and supplies close at hand while she worked, it was a habit she had learned from her Grand Da.

The large oak roll top desk had belonged to him and Ciara had many memories of watching her Grand Da sitting at this desk working on his newspaper or magazine articles. She owed so much to her grandfather for unlike her parents he was the one that had encouraged her to take the unknown path.

 _She found him in his usual place sitting in his back garden where he now spent most of his days reading, writing and occasionally napping although he would never admit to the latter. He had built a small roof over the patio so that he could sit out here even on rainy days so it was only during the cold months of winter that found him indoors._

" _Grand Da are you busy or do you have time to talk about something?" she asked as she approached him bringing with her two mugs of steaming tea to ward off the late afternoon chill._

 _He looked up at her and smiled. "I always have time to talk to you love."_

 _She sat down on the edge of the lawn chair next to him. Taking a sip from her own mug of tea, she seemed to stall for time._

" _I need to decide whether to renew my teaching contract."_

 _Tom nodded his head before speaking. "But you're ready for a new adventure."_

 _She looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise._

" _You've been teaching for two years now and have found it not to be so exciting."_

 _Ciara chuckled. "Oh Grand Da you do know me so well."_

" _So what do you have in mind?" he asked._

 _She sighed deeply. "Well …" she began "I haven't really thought what I want to do for the rest of my life or even a new career but I thought I might do some traveling. Maybe visit Aine in her new post in Zambia." After graduation from university Aine had joined the State Department where her first assignment was to the US Embassy in Albania and now after a year there she had been assigned three months ago to the embassy in Zambia._

" _I've saved quite a bit of money since you won't charge me rent for living here" Ciara continued. She still felt she should pay something in rent but Tom wouldn't hear of it. "I enjoy having someone else in the house" he'd say whenever she brought up the subject. "Besides I own the house free and clear so what do I need your money for?"_

" _I think it's a wonderful idea" Tom remarked. "It's better to seize an opportunity than spend years regretting not doing so."_

" _But …" Ciara began. She hesitated because she didn't want to offend her grandfather but she feared leaving him alone. Next month he'd turn 83 and she could see him slowing down each day. Two of her university friends had continued living here after graduation but one had recently married and the other had moved to Cork after taking a job there so it was now just her and him._

 _He sensed what she feared and was greatly touched by it. "With just the two of us now in this big house, I've been thinking of asking Aibrean and her family if they want to move here. It's been tough for them lately with Sean losing his job and I think it would be nice to have young children around."_

 _Ciara perked up. "Really Grand Da? I think that would be marvelous."_

" _But I have one condition" Tom stated._

" _What would that be?" Ciara asked._

" _You realize you have a place here at this house whenever you decide to come back. The house is big enough for all of us."_

As she did most evenings when she finished working, Ciara looked at the calendar on her desk to note any upcoming appointments. Looking at the calendar, Ciara couldn't believe she had been out of university for eight years now and even worse that she'd turn 30 this year an age that at one time had seemed old but not so much anymore. In fact she was looking forward to the new decade of her life especially since she would soon embark on a new adventure – marriage.

Although many of her friends had already married, and some even had children, Ciara hadn't been in any hurry to do so. She knew in her heart she wanted a marriage like her grandparents had and was willing to wait for the right man and if he never came along so be it. In the meantime she had been happy for those closest to her that had found that someone special.

Ciara picked up the framed photograph of her and Aine. It was a candid shot taking of them laughing, Aine dressed in her wedding dress holding her bouquet whose blue flowers matched the color of Ciara's Maid of Honor dress, both looking so happy. _Your smiles could light up the world Grand Da had said when he had seen the photograph._

Aine had married in the early spring of 1977. She had met Andreas shortly after being transferred from Zambia to Finland. It was a very international romance since Aine met him at a party at the British Embassy in Helsinki where she was stationed at the US Embassy and Andreas was at the German Embassy. Some might have said it was a strange place for their wedding after all neither the bride nor groom was from Dublin but being the diplomats they both were they had compromised and settled on a place between her family in Virginia and his in Germany although one could point out that the bride had family in Dublin. Grand Da laughed when told of the impending wedding that Aine was keeping alive the tradition started by her grandmother and then copied by her mother of marrying a man from another country.

 _Ciara, as the Maid of Honor, was waiting with Aine and her father in the anteroom just inside the entrance to the small Catholic church. They were surprised when there was a knock on the door which had been closed to prevent anyone sneaking glimpses of the bride. Ciara opened the door just enough to see it was their grandfather with Aine's mother standing just behind him._

" _I should have given you this before but I'm sorry to say I forgot" Tom said as he handed Aine a small oblong box. Although he was beginning to look rather frail, his voice was still the strong and clear Irish lilt that Aine loved._

 _Aine smiled at her grandfather as she took the box from him. There was no wrapping covering the box and she didn't recognize the name of the jeweler but noted it stated "fine jewelers of London."_

" _Oh Grand Da!" Aine exclaimed as she opened the box revealing a delicate gold chain with a pendant of thin strands of gold surrounding an oblong amethyst stone. "It's beautiful" she said as she took the necklace out of the box._

" _It belonged to your grandmother" Tom replied. "I thought it could be the 'something old'."_

" _Oh Grand Da!" Aine exclaimed as she kissed his cheek._

 _Faint tears showed in Roisin's eyes as she watched Ciara help Aine put on the necklace. "Oh Dad that's so lovely of you" she said as she too kissed his cheek._

 _Looking at his granddaughter, a broad smile on his face Tom commented "You're a beautiful bride Aine. Andreas is a very lucky man to get such a fine young woman as you."_

" _Grand Da I'm really going to cry if you don't stop."_

" _Well we can't have a bride go up the aisle with tears in her eyes. The audience will think it's not a wedding of joy." Tom leaned in and whispered in Aine's ear "May the most you wish for be the least you get" before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek._

 _The last of the wedding guests had taken their seats. Now that Grand Da and Aunt Roisin had been escorted to their seats in the front pew it was time the service to begin._

" _How do I look?" Aine asked._

" _Beautiful" a beaming Ciara replied "and happy."_

Next to that photograph was one of Ciara, her brother Sam, Aine and Artie that had been taken when they went to Downton for Artie's wedding just a couple of months after Aine's wedding.

Artie had met Lizzie eight years before at university and they had been casual friends ever since seeing each other at mutual friends' weddings or parties and even a couple of university reunions but love did not bloom until one evening the two met by chance in London. There had been a quick down pour of rain and both had separately darted into the same tea room to wait out the storm. It was a quick seven months later that Artie proposed. Ciara, along with her mother, Aunt Aibrean, Uncle Eamon and his wife, Sam and Aine attended the lovely wedding which was held in one of the gardens of Downton. To everyone's regret Tom just didn't feel up to traveling to Downton for the wedding.

Ciara only had a few framed photographs on her desk all which were of her those close to her. She had one of her grandparents from a long ago Christmas but her favorite one was of her grandparents sitting in the garden with a young Ciara playing on the ground in front of them.

Ciara's love of photography and travel was showcased on one wall of her living room which had an array of mostly eight by ten or larger photographs. Several were of her visit to Aine in Zambia where she ended up staying almost six months. During the week days she volunteered at a local school and on weekends she and Aine explored Zambia as evidenced by the photographs of a herd of zebras galloping off in the tall grass, an elephant bathing in a lake, and the thundering Victoria Falls.

Hearing the wall clock chime eleven, Ciara thought she better get to bed since she had a very early day tomorrow. When the small alarm clock went off at four am, Ciara's first inclination after shutting it off was to burrow herself back under the covers but after a minute or two of lingering she threw back the snow white duvet and rose from the bed. She had checked the time for sunrise in the evening paper before going to bed so she knew she didn't have time to linger if she wanted to be there before sunrise. Not that there was any reason she had to be there at sunrise; it was just that sunrise was the time of day she felt closest to him.

 _She had always been an early riser, usually up far earlier than she needed to be. But Ciara found she didn't like to rush around in the mornings like her brother Sam whose haste in getting ready for school would usually cause him to leave something important behind, often it would be a book or his lunch but there had been the occasions when it was a paper that was due._

 _It was also the only time of the day that she could be alone and not be pestered by her brothers. Although she loved them, some days she wished one of the five had been a girl just so she wouldn't always be so out numbered._

 _She had found her escape was to visit her grandparents. Luckily they only lived a ten minute walk away so she could walk or ride her bike there. On weekends and in the summers she practically lived there. And it was in those summers that she and her grandfather would take early morning walks, often leaving before the sun rose to find a lovely spot to watch the sunrise. She was amazed at how different the sun rises were, sometimes the dark sky would just gradually lighten until it was suddenly daylight without any dramatic colors, other times there would be streaks of red and yellows and oranges heralding the rising sun, sometimes the sun was a giant fireball and other times it was hidden behind clouds._

 _She and her grandfather would spend that time talking, sometimes seriously sometimes being silly. She loved that she could bring up any subject and he would be willing to talk about it and she thought she had learned so much from him._

 _There was a bakery that they would often stop at and buy some sweet treats or scones to take back for breakfast. Sometimes if Grand Ma was still in bed when they got back to the house they'd fix a tray with tea and scones with jam or doughnuts or whatever they had bought and surprise her with breakfast in bed. Grand Da would often joke with Grand Ma that it was just like at Downton with "milady being served breakfast in bed."_

It had been quite a while since Ciara had been out this early in the morning probably not since those walks with her grandfather. As she walked along the still darken streets, she marveled at the stillness with only an occasional passing lorry or car breaking the silence. It wasn't often that one could walk the streets of Dublin and not be rattled by laughter or singing floating through the front door of a pub as one passed but at this hour even the pubs were closed and those patrons were home sleeping off their good night. The early morning stillness reminded her of Downton where one didn't hear passing vehicles or chattering pedestrians.

When she had visited Downton with Grand Da and Aine she had been fascinated by his and Aunt Mary's stories of their past. Throughout the next two years of university and then the two years she was teaching English in secondary school, she had thought about those stories which had planted in her mind the seeds of a possible novel. It wasn't until the year she had spent traveling that she realized what she really wanted to do was be an author and more specifically she wanted to write a novel that was set on an English estate in the early part of the century.

When she returned to Ireland she shared her idea with her grandfather who was a bit hesitant of having his and Sybil's life turned into a novel but the more the two talked about it the more excited he became especially when Ciara said the story would only be loosely based on their lives. Thinking that she wanted to do more research on that era, Ciara went to Downton for three months.

 _Mary was enthusiastic about Ciara's project and spent hours talking about the customs, values, and behaviors of late 19_ _th_ _century and early 20_ _th_ _century aristocratic England. She spent hours with Ciara chatting about that time, her childhood, her parents and grandparents, the servants and the way of life that no longer existed. Ciara thought much of Mary's enthusiasm was a way of coping with the death of Howard five months earlier and her ensuing loneliness._

 _As they had done for most of the past two weeks, Ciara and Mary were sitting in the attics of Downton Abbey which with a house the size of Downton actually consisted of several huge rooms and a couple of much smaller ones. Much of the furniture, of which there was enough to furnish several normal sized homes, was draped in sheeting like covers but even so the cleaning crew must occasionally worked here for there was not as much dirt and dust as Ciara would have thought._

 _However it wasn't the furniture that had captured Ciara's attention but rather the trunks, of which there were many scattered through-out the attics, that she considered to be the real treasure troves for as great as Mary's stories and recollections were it was those items stored in the trunks that brought to life Mary's stores. Ciara couldn't believe how much of the past had been stored in those trunks, of various sizes and shapes, and sent here mostly certainly to be forgotten. Many trunks contained clothes that had been carefully wrapped and preserved. There were toys for children of all ages including silver rattles and wooden blocks, games in_ _boxes, spinning tops, and even a riding horse. There were boxes of correspondence mostly letters and invitations but also some telegrams and notecards sent to various family members but most often Cora or Violet. One trunk contained nothing but volumes of Edith's magazine The Sketch._

 _They were looking through another box of programs and playbills from London concerts and theaters, and menu cards from long ago elaborate dinners, when Mary stood up and stated "Meet me in the drawing room at half seven" before abruptly leaving the attic._

 _After spending the rest of the day in the attic alone, Ciara had bathed and changed into navy blue trousers and a blue flowered blouse, no way would she sit in the drawing room in her dusty jeans, and promptly opened the drawing room door at half seven to find Mary sitting on the settee dressed in a wine colored long evening dress with lacy short cap sleeves that mirrored the lacy bodice. Her ensemble was completed with a garnet pendant necklace and matching earrings. With her posture as straight as ever, she sat so that her back did not actually touch the back of the settee, and her hands, which were covered with long white gloves that ended above her elbow, lay clasped on her lap._

 _Mary chuckled seeing the puzzled look on Ciara's face. "Don't worry my dear it isn't a fancy dinner I forgot to tell you about."_

" _From the time I was old enough to dine with the family until the early thirties this is how we dressed for dinner" Mary stated. "Even when it was just the family. Carson would ring the gong at seven so that the family would know we had an hour to change for dinner."_

 _Mary stood and looked around the drawing room. "It wasn't until the mid-twenties I guess that we'd have cocktails or drinks in here before dinner. Before that we'd just meet here and wait for Carson to announce that dinner was served."_

 _As if on cue, Michael opened the drawing room door and stated "dinner is served milady."_

 _Mary wrapped her arm around Ciara's and said "shall we go in" as she led the two of them to the dining room._

 _Ciara noticed that the dining table wasn't open to it full length where it could serve twenty or more guests but rather the more manageable length used when just the family was dining. Only two places, across from each other at the middle of the table, were set with an array of dishes, silverware and wine glasses. There was also a menu card like those she had seen in the attic at each place._

 _Taking their seats across from one another, Ciara at Cora's seat and Mary at Robert's, Mary began explaining the dining room etiquette, everything from where everyone sat to the role of Carson and the footmen while as she talked Michael and Lucinda served them one course after another as had been done in the long ago era._

As she made her way closer to her destination, lights began appearing in windows of the houses and flats that she passed. She was no longer alone on the streets for there were dog walkers and a surprisingly number of people that had taken up the relatively new craze of jogging. It wasn't a long walk, only twenty minutes or so, and Ciara spent much of that time thinking about how much her life had changed in the last few years.

Returning from Downton she had begun working on the novel in earnest. Her Grand Da had been invaluable help as he reviewed and critiqued each chapter. Even more importantly he had used his contacts to set up a meeting with a publisher. When it was finally published it was modestly successful reaching the top ten best seller lists in both Ireland England. It even did well in America much to Ciara's surprise. Most wonderful of all was that the money Ciara earned allowed her to pursue writing as a full time job.

 _The library and grand hall had emptied of much of those that had attended the service. Mostly those that remained were family members that were gathered in small groups chatting as they sipped their tea or coffee. A few were still eating from the remaining platters that had been laden with finger sandwiches and small savory tarts or the cheese trays with their variety of cheeses and crackers and breads. There were still platters of freshly baked cakes and biscuits as well as trays of grapes and sliced fruit on another table. The waiters and waitresses were no longer refilling the platters or trays but rather were busy with removing the empty plates and cups that the mourners had left scattered around the room._

 _Setting her empty plate on one of the folding tray stands, Ciara looked around the great hall which never failed to awe her. Her mother and Uncle Eamon were talking to Arthur. Judging by their smiles and laughter Ciara thought they were probably discussing some childhood adventures. Aine was in deep conversation with Caroline who had blossomed into a beautiful young woman with a very close resemblance to her grandmother._

 _Entering the library, Ciara spied Artie standing in front of one of the large windows looking out at the front lawn, his wife Lizzie standing beside him with her hand gently rubbing his back._

" _Your speech was wonderful Artie. It obviously came from the heart" Ciara spoke to her cousin. "I wish I had known … she wrote me a lovely letter about a month ago but never mentioned that … she mostly wrote about my Grand Da and Grand Ma … maybe I should have guessed."_

 _Artie slowly nodded his head. "When she was told the cancer had spread she refused any further treatment. Said she had lived a wonderful 85 years, that she was the last of them, that there was no one left from her younger years and that she was ready to go."_

 _He looked at Ciara, his eyes blearing with unshed tears. "I know many thought of her as cold but I never thought of her that way" he replied. "She was just my Grandmama."_

 _Ciara reached out and touched Artie's arm. "I know Grand Da was very fond of her. He said that it just took some time to get to know the real Mary."_

 _She continued "I think I know what he meant because I have such fond memories of those months I spent here researching my book. My book wouldn't have been as good without the help she gave me."_

" _She was very proud of you and that book" Artie responded._

The sky was just beginning to lighten as Ciara entered the cemetery although she knew by heart the way to their graves and didn't need any light to show her the way. Reaching their graves, Ciara stood there and watched the sky turn from inky black to gray with streaks of bright red before suddenly the streaks parted and a fireball of bright yellow appeared. It was one of the most spectacular sunrises she had ever seen. A smile spread across her Ciara's face as she thought it was oh so fitting for such a sunrise on this day the 61st wedding anniversary of her grandparents.

She placed her bouquet in the permanent vase that had been placed between the two headstones. Although she came here several times a year such as their birthdays, she always thought this was the most special day because it was the day they began their life together.

Now they had been together again for almost three years. Ciara could remember it so well. For Dublin, it was a warm summer day with the all too rare sun shining brightly. Tom was in his back garden the place where he now spent more and more of his time. From there he could watchAibrean's children play in the yard which so reminded him of when he had watched his own children play.

But this afternoon it was just him and Ciara. Although she now had her own flat, Ciara usually came to visit him every afternoon. She was writing another book now on women in Ireland in the first part of the 1900's and found talking to her grandfather a great source of information. She would let him read what she had written since she valued his judgement.

Today Tom had been rather quiet. He smiled at her and kissed her cheek when she had brought him a cold bottle of cider. He seemed to be somewhat sleepy today and so while he sat quietly in his chair, Ciara sat writing.

Suddenly aware of his murmuring, Ciara sat up. "What Grand Da?"

Tom didn't answer her but continued murmuring. She was finally able to understand him saying "Sybil" and "love" but not much else although his eyes were open staring straight ahead of him and his lips continued moving.

Ciara reached out and took his hand in hers. "Are you okay Grand Da? Do you need something?"

But he didn't answer her. A few minutes later he slowly nodded his head and closed his eyes for the last time.

 _He couldn't believe she was standing in front of him. He blinked his eyes. How could this be?_

 _He looked around him and realized he was no longer sitting in his back garden. He was … he was in a garage. Looking down he saw he was wearing that oh so familiar dark green livery only his jacket was folded and sitting on the bonnet of the Renault._

 _Sybil was standing at the open garage doors. He took a deep breath at the sight of her standing there looking so beautiful. She was wearing that black evening dress with the gold trim, the one that had become his favorite. Her long dark hair was up in that intricate style and the gleam in her eyes matched the sparkle of the jewels at her neck. Had she come to tell him she was ready … ready to go with him to Ireland?_

" _Tom" she spoke so quietly he had to strain his ears to hear her._

" _Have you come for me?" he asked_

" _It's not my decision to make love" she spoke. "If it had been up to me I would never have left you."_

 _He frowned, her words not making much sense to him._

" _I don't want you to go away."_

 _Sybil reached out her hand to him "Then you'll have to come with me. We can be together again"_

 _He nodded his head. "We've always been together love. You've never left my heart."_


End file.
